蔡明憲
Michael M. Tsai

* 蔡明憲博士是本刊發行人。Dr. Michael M. Tsai is the Publisher of Taiwan Defense Affairs.

對台灣國防而言，空權的問題不在於它如何重要，而在於如何以最具經濟效益來保有我們得來斐易的制空優勢。對於國防規劃者，此一任務凸顯了一個兩難的抉擇：一方面，在空軍上的投資向來是昂貴的，這對捉襟見肘的國防經費而言，是極為困難的。另一方面，在軍備發展的動力驅使下，任何軍事投資在敵人的相對發展或跟進下，所能達成的優勢往往難以持久。這此一兩難凸顯了前述問題的重要性。
For defending Taiwan, the significance of airpower is not the issue of how important it is but rather lies on how to sustain hard-earned air superiority in an optimal cost-effective way. This task presents a dilemmatic choice for our defense planners. On one hand, aviation is always an expensive investment and challenging for our current shrinking defense budget. Under the dynamics of arms development, on the other hand, any military investment will meet enemy’s countermoves or imitation. No military edge can thus last long. This dilemma manifests the importance of the problem just mentioned.

因此，替代的捷徑內總是極具吸引力。這些短期的捷徑，在軍事上可以暫時彌補迫切的需要，在政治上也較不具爭議性。不過，這並不是說：這些權宜之計可以完整地達成在未來捍衛領空的任務。更需要思考的是，如何地在人力開發、準則發展與新科技運用這幾個面向的整合上，從根本面上去檢討未來十年我國空軍的面貌。
As a result, alternative bypasses are always attractive. These short-term bypasses seem to be able to match the urgent needs militarily and relative undisputed politically. But, to be sure, this is not said to achieve the task of comprehensive command of the air in the future can be achieved by these expediencies alone. What needs to be fundamentally speculated is to examine the landscape of our air forces after next by an integrated approach among the aspects of manpower improvement, doctrinal development, and new technological application.

本次「台灣國防安全與空權發展」國際研討會的目的意即在此。作為國防政策通盤檢討的目的，這是我們第三次的年度研討會。在前兩年，我們對台灣一般政策與戰略以及海軍發展上，已提出值得注意的政策建議，而在今年針對空軍的研討會之後，在明年預定的「改變中的台灣地面部隊角色與任務」研討會，我們更將進一步針對最具挑戰性的議題進行辯論與討論。
It is exactly what we intend to do in this international conference on “Taiwan Security and Air Power.” For a bottom-up review, this is our third annual conference. We have suggested some marked policy proposals on Taiwan’s overall defense policy and military strategy as well as development of our seapower in our previous two conferences. After this airpower conference, we plan to organize our fourth conference which will be focused on a more challenging and debatable issue of “The Changing Role and Mission of Taiwan’s Ground Forces.”

這不是一個人能夠完成的。沒有外交部、國防部及其他政府部門的全力協助以及前院長唐飛先生、總統府資政張建邦博士與總統府戰略顧問夏瀛洲將軍等先進的鼓勵與鞭策，這場研討會是不可能得以舉辦。同時，我也要感謝與會的外賓為我們空軍的未來發展提出那麼多寶貴的意見，這些專家包括：彼得•布魯克斯先生（美國）、馬丁•艾德蒙博士（英國）、肯尼斯•艾倫先生（美國）、羅柏•佩博士（美國）、艾瑞克•麥克菲登將軍（美國）、理查•費雪先生（美國）、葛蘭特•漢姆博士（美
國）、盧福偉博士（新加坡）、佐籐守將軍（日本）、潔克琳•大衛斯博士（美國）、金德芳博士（美國）、岡本智博將軍（日本）等。我也必須真摯地感謝一起打拼的伙伴們，包括黃介正博士、翁明賢博士、陳文政先生、鍾如郁小姐、蘇紫雲先生、廖書賢先生以及其他朋友，在他們全心的努力下，這場研討會再度證明是一場成功的盛會。
One man alone cannot do this. Without full supports from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, and other governmental branches as well as continuous encouragement from Mr. Fei Tang (former Premier), Dr. Clement C.P. Chang (Senior Advisor for the President), and General Yang-Jiou Shiah (Strategy Advisor to the President), this conference can never be materialized. Also, I am grateful for overseas participants who offer us many precious suggestions for future development of our Air Forces. Those include Mr. Peter Brookes (USA), Dr. Martin Edmonds (UK), Mr. Kenneth Allen (USA), Dr. Robert A. Pape (USA), Admiral (ret.) Eric A. McVadon (USA), Mr. Richard D. Fisher (USA), Dr. Grant T. Hammond (USA), Dr. Bernard Loo (Singapore), General (ret.) Mamoru Sato (Japan), Dr. Jacquelyn K. Davis (USA), Dr. June Teufel Dreyer (USA), and General (ret.) Tomohiro Okamoto (Japan). I also need to express my sincere gratitude to my colleagues, Dr. Alexander C. Huang, Dr. Ming-Hsien Wong, Mr. York W. Chen, Ms. Ju-Yu Chung, Mr. Tzu-Yun Su, and Mr. Henry S. Liao and other fellows. With their full-hearted energy, this conference proves to be a successful one again.