To require a report on Taiwan's Air Force.

1. Adds SEC. 1222. REPORT ON TAIWAN'S AIR FORCE at the end of subtitle B of title XII

   Adds a section

   In S. 1390 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (c) Submittal in Classified Form.--The report required by subsection (a), or any part of such report, may be submitted in classified form if the President considers it appropriate.

   Inserted: SEC. 1222. REPORT ON TAIWAN'S AIR FORCE.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) According to the Department of Defense's (DoD) 2009 Annual Report on Military Power of the People's Republic of China, the military balance in the Taiwan Strait has been shifting in China's favor since 2000, marked by the sustained deployment of advanced military equipment to the Chinese military regions opposite Taiwan.

   Inserted: (2) Although the DoD's 2002 Report concluded that Taiwan "has enjoyed dominance of the airspace over the Taiwan Strait for many years," the DoD's 2009 Report states this conclusion no longer holds true.

   Inserted: (3) China has based 490 combat aircraft (330 fighters and 160 bombers) within unrefueled operational range of Taiwan, and has the airfield capacity to expand that number by hundreds. In contrast, Taiwan has 390 combat aircraft (all of which are fighters).

   Inserted: (4) Also according to the DoD's 2009 Report, China has continued its build-up of conventional ballistic missiles since 2000, "building a nascent capacity for conventional short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) strikes against Taiwan into what has become one of China's primary instruments of coercion." At this time, China has expanded its SRBM force opposite Taiwan to seven brigades with a total of 1,050 through 1,150 missiles, and is augmenting these forces with conventional medium-range ballistic missiles systems and at least 2 land attack cruise missile variants capable of ground or air launch. Advanced fighters and bombers, combined with enhanced training for nighttime and overwater flights, provide China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) with additional capabilities for regional strike or maritime interdiction operations.

   Inserted: (5) Furthermore, the Report maintains, "the security situation in the Taiwan Strait is largely a function of dynamic interactions among Mainland China, Taiwan, and the United States. The PLA has developed and deployed military capability to coerce Taiwan or attempt an invasion if necessary. PLA improvements pose new challenges to Taiwan's security, which has historically been based upon the PLA's inability to project power across the 100 nautical-mile Taiwan Strait, natural geographic advantages of island defense, Taiwan's armed forces' technological superiority, and the possibility of U.S. intervention".

   Inserted: (6) The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 requires that, in furtherance of the principle of maintaining peace and stability in the Western Pacific region, the United States shall make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity "as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability," allowing that "the President and the Congress shall determine the nature and quantity of such defense articles and services based solely upon their judgment of the needs of Taiwan . . .".

   Inserted: (b) Report to Congress on Taiwan's Current Air Force and Future Self-Defense Requirements.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress a report, in both classified and unclassified form, containing the following:

   Inserted: (1) A thorough and complete assessment of the current state of Taiwan's Air Force, including--

   Inserted: (A) the number and type of aircraft;

   Inserted: (B) the age of aircraft; and

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   Inserted: (C) the capability of those aircraft.

   Inserted: (2) An assessment of the effectiveness of the aircraft in the face of a full-scale concerted missile and air campaign by China, in which China uses its most modern surface-to-air missiles currently deployed along its seacoast.

   Inserted: (3) An analysis of the specific weapons systems and platforms that Taiwan would need to provide for it's self-defense and maintain control of its own air space.

   Inserted: (4) Options for the United States to assist Taiwan in achieving those capabilities.

   Inserted: (5) A 5-year plan for fulfilling the obligations of the United States under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide for Taiwan's self-defense and aid Taiwan in maintaining control of its own air space.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle B of title XII, add the following:

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As printed