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Army grounds newly acquired Apache choppers due to malfunction

ROC Central News Agency

2013/12/18 16:47:51

Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) Taiwan's Army has grounded the six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters recently delivered by the United States after receiving notification of a malfunction in a helicopter of the same type used by the U.S. Army, officials said Wednesday.

Defense Minister Yen Ming confirmed that the Defense Ministry has been informed by the U.S. of a malfunction and has ordered all of Taiwan's Apache helicopters to be grounded for safety checks.

Yen was responding to questions by lawmaker Ma Wen-chun of the ruling Kuomintang at a hearing in the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Lt. Gen. Hao Yii-jy, chief of staff of the Army, said the Army was notified on Tuesday of a main transmission failure in an AH-64E Apache helicopter being used by the U.S. military.

The U.S. and Taiwan are the only two countries that use the latest model of Apache helicopters.

Hao said that the Army has suspended all of its Apache training operations pending a full investigation conducted by the U.S. into the cause of the malfunction.

It was the first such problem faced by the new Apache helicopter since it was put into service by the U.S. military earlier this year, a military source said.

Technical specialists from U.S.-based aerospace company Boeing, which manufactures the Apache helicopters, are in Taiwan to help conduct the safety checks, the source said.

During the legislative hearing, Yen told lawmakers that Taiwan will not have to pay for the checks or repairs based on the warranty that comes with the helicopters.

Taiwan held a delivery ceremony for the newly acquired Apache helicopters attended by President Ma Ying-jeou at an Army Aviation Special Forces base in Tainan on Dec. 13.

'The aircraft is the world's top attack helicopter' and will bolster Taiwan's combat capabilities, Ma said.

The six Apaches, which arrived in Taiwan in early November, are part of a 30-helicopter package purchased by Taiwan at cost of more than US$2 billion. The model E is the latest in the Apache attack helicopter series.

The second batch of Apaches is scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan early next year, and the last batch by the end of 2014, the military said.

(By Claudia Liu and Elaine Hou)
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