ABSTRACT
In the absence of any response from Taiwan to modernize, the PLA could around the decade’s end achieve a level of air-space superiority necessary to support a range of coercive military operations that could force Taipei to capitulate to Beijing’s dicta on unification.1 However, contrary to those who predict that Taiwan is destined to lose military superiority on the Strait,2 it is certainly possible for Taiwan to acquire the doctrines and capabilities to sustain deterrence or to defeat current and future PLA threats. This requires Taiwan’s military vision and its forces to undergo continuous modernization and even transformation. In short, Taiwan must win the ongoing race to embrace the future of air power.
