Military Aid Program

Throughout the Cold War era, of the thirty two US MAP recipients examined the four success stories were the Free China (Taiwan), Greece, South Korea and Turkey.  Operational since Apr, 1951, the United States Taiwan Defense Command was a planning HQs stationed in Taipei for the defense of Taiwan, Quemoy and Matsu (Pescadores).  The Military Assistance Advisory Group (美軍顧問團) under the USTDC, commanded by Army Major General William C. Chase, was authorized 63 Air Force, 67 Army and 4 Navy personnel.

Until the MAAG’s withdrawal in Dec 1978, the huge figure for US military and economic aid to ROC circa 1946-79 was US$5.6 billion.  At the peak of its existence in 1957, there were 10,000 Americans in Taiwan, the great majority being military personnel, CIA and their families. Under the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, American advisers were tasked with providing arms, assisting with island forces training doctrine, maintaining military contacts, and restricting ROC offensive operations.  As its air component commander, the USAAF 327^th Air Division’s CO directed and coordinated the air force program as well made recommendations.

With the MAP standardization of warplane, the CAF combat groups used all US front-line types.  Though a 1953 story about Canada supplied Taiwan with 58 new Canuck Mk. IIIs, which the CAF operated as first-line interceptors until 1956.  When the IIIs began to be replaced by Vs, they remained in reserve service until 1972…In fact the CAF was never a user of the Avro CF-100 Clunk.  However, both in the democratic camp during the Cold War, the CAF and RCAF operated several common US types, e.g. F-101 Voodoo, F-104 Starfighter, F-5 Freedom Fighter and KDA-4 Firebee target drone, which is under the Lancaster’s pylons in my drawing.  Hereby authentic illustrated, these warplanes show life of their won.