Taiwan takes delivery of first Apache choppers
ROC Central News Agency
2013/11/04 13:54:59
Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) Taiwan's first six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, purchased from the United States, have been delivered, Defense Minister Yen Ming said Monday.
The model E is currently most advanced model of the AH-64 Apache and will greatly improve the military's mobility and power, Yen told legislators during a meeting of the Foreign and National Defense Committee.
The minister said the AH-64E is of better quality than China's latest WZ-10 attack helicopter, although China has more helicopters than Taiwan.
Equipped with AN/APG-78 Longbow Fire Control Radar, the U.S.-made helicopter is good for both land and sea-based reconnaissance, according to Army Chief of Staff Hao Yi-chih.
The six AH-64Es are part of an order of 30 of the advanced American attack helicopters that Taiwan's military bought for NT$59.31 billion (US$2.01 billion) under a deal announced in 2008 by then-U.S. President George W. Bush.
Taiwan will be the first country apart from the U.S. to deploy this type of helicopter when they become operational in April 2014 at air bases in northern Taiwan. The U.S. Army took delivery of its first AH-64Es at the end of 2011.
A second batch of Apache helicopters is scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan in late December and the full order will be completed in five batches by the end of 2014, according to the military.
Also during Monday's meeting, Yen reiterated Taiwan's wish to purchase submarines from the United States, following the delivery of the first of 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft in late September.
Meanwhile, Navy Chief of Staff Kao Tien-chung said the defense ministry is planning to replace the aging Sea Chaparral missiles currently installed on the Kangting-class frigates (French-made Lafayette frigates) with Sky Sword II missiles in 2017.
(By Liu Li-jung and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM /pc
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