Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Taipei, Dec. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's Army demonstrated the capabilities of its six newly acquired AH-64E Apache attack helicopters Friday at an official ceremony in southern Taiwan to mark the United States' delivery of the aircraft.

During the demonstration, the U.S.-made helicopters were flown at low altitude, made to hover, and put through shift turns.

The ceremony was attended by President Ma Ying-jeou, Defense Minister Yen Ming and other ranking government officials, as well as Christopher Maru, director of the American Institute in Taiwan's Taipei Office.

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

The president also touted the close security cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. and thanked the U.S. for its assistance in the procurement process and its training of Taiwan military personnel.

Equipped with AN/APG-78 Longbow Fire Control Radar, the U.S.-made helicopter is good for both land and sea-based operations.

The six helicopters, 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 procurement of the aircraft will greatly improve the Taiwan military's mobility and firepower, according to the defense ministry.

The model E is the latest in 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 Elaine Hou)

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ToxicStar said:

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Now I'm looking forward to the delivery of the UH-60M, as Taiwan's fleet of UH-1H is becoming obsolete.

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Jeff Head said:

30 Apache Longbows will be a very significant addition to the ROC's anti-armor, attack helicopter capabilities.

They are very powerful and capable attack helicopters...good for anti-armor, anti-personnel, fortified position attack, eleminiation of C&C and comms, and even maritime patrol and attack on smaller combatant vessels.

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ToxicStar said:

Agreed, although there were still debates going on in Taiwan about the ROCA's choice of Apache over AH-1Z, due to the fact that Taiwan currently operates a large fleet of AH-1W, and Bell had a history of industrial cooperation with AIDC (some components of AH-1Z is outsourced to be built by AIDC). Still, IMO Apache is superior because of the Longbow system, which means the ROCA's fleet of attack helicopters no longer requires OH-58 to form a hunter-killer team.

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AH-64D Apache "Longbow"

AH-1Z Viper
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Jeff Head said:

The AH-1Z viper would indeed be an excellent compliment/addition to the AH-1W Super Cobras. More power, faster, more ordinance. It truly brings the Viper (Super Cobra) up to par with respect to the Apache.

Except for the difference in the 20mm chain gun on the Viper and the 30mm chain gun on the Apache...as well as for, as you mentioned, the Longbow Laser designation capabilities of the AH-64D. This is a critical capability.

I am sure that the ROC will be happy to have the 30 Apaches over 30 new Vipers for that reason...but there will be logisitics and training costs that go along with that decision.

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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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