The United States Taiwan Defense Command (USTDC; ) was a sub-unified command of the United States Armed Forces operating in Taiwan from December 1954 to April 1979.
History
The United States Taiwan Defense Command was originally formed as the Formosa Liaison Center (founded in 1955 after the signature of the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty of December 1954 and the First Taiwan Strait Crisis of Sept. 1954). In November 1955, the FLC became the Taiwan Defense Command. The command reported directly to the Commander-in-Chief Pacific (CINCPAC). The command was composed of personnel from all branches of the U.S. armed forces and had its headquarters in Taipei. The first commander of the USTDC was Alfred M. Pride, Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet.
When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the United States Seventh Fleet routinely patrolled the Taiwan Strait until the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and People's Republic of China in 1979 .
In 1954, the United States Seventh Fleet also dispatched a detachment to the Zuoying Military Port in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The USAF 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron was deployed at Chiayi Air Base, Taiwan, from 27 January – 17 February 1955 and 1 July – 1 October 1955, using F-86 Sabre fighters.
The 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron operating the F-86 Sabre was deployed to Taoyuan Air Base, Taiwan from 27 January to 17 February 1955 and again from 3–30 September 1955.
USTDC was a combined arms theater headquarters for the defense of Taiwan and the Pescadores. In the event of hostilities, the USTDC commander would have coordinated with the Government of the Republic of China in the defense of Taiwan and the Pescadores. In the event of such a contingency, three existing service commanders would have reported to the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command commander. The 327th Air Division commander would be the air component commander, the Taiwan Patrol Force commander would be the naval component commander (the Taiwan Patrol Force being drawn from the United States Seventh Fleet), and the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group China would be the Army component commander. The 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Thirteenth Air Force, at Clark Air Base in the Philippines had reinforcement air defence functions for Taiwan for a period.
The 24th Tactical Missile Squadron was stationed at Tainan Air Base on 7 May 1957. It was equipped with MGM-1 Matador missiles. The deployment was completed in October. The 17th Tactical Missile was also equipped with MGM-1 Matador missiles The squadron also completed its deployment at Tainan Air Base in November of that year. After 1958, its designation was changed from 17th Squadron to the 868th Tactical Missile Squadron, and it continued to station at Tainan Air Force Base until June 1962. On 25 February 1958, the U.S. Air Force built a Mark 7 nuclear bomb storage facility at Tainan Air Base, and began to deploy Nuclear bomb in Taiwan in 1960. The last batch was withdrawn on 31 July 1974.
In August 1958, in response to the situation of the Taiwan Strait crisis, the U.S. Marine Corps Marine Aircraft Group 11 urgently stationed at Pingtung Air Base to strengthen the air defense of southern Taiwan, and was equipped with Douglas F4D Skyray and North American FJ-2/-3 Fury. The commander was Colonel Marshall, and they were not evacuated until the situation eased in January 1959.
In August 1958, U.S. Army dispatched the 71st Air Defense Artillery Regiment from Texas to Taiwan, equipped with the MIM-14 Nike Hercules.
On 10 September 1958, as part of the U.S. response to the 1958 Quemoy Crisis, disassembled F-104A Starfighters of the 83d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron were airlifted by C-124s to Taoyuan Air Base, Taiwan, where they were reassembled as part of Operation Jonah Able. The first F-104A was operational 30 hours after arriving and by 19 September the entire squadron was operational. In October 1958 the men of the 83rd FIS were relieved by the men of the 337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron under the command of Col. James Jabara and in December the F-104s were again disassembled and loaded aboard C-124s for return to the 83rd FIS at Hamilton Air Force Base, California.
In September 1958, the number of US troops stationed in Taiwan increased from 5,500 in 1955 to 20,000.
The 405th Fighter Wing dispatched units of the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron equipped with F-100D Super Sabre to Tainan Air Base, in Tainan, Taiwan from November 1965 to August 1967. Later, they were transferred from Clark AB, Philippines. succeeded by 523d Tactical Fighter Squadron with F-4D fighters in Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, until August 1973.