The nation’s first combat-ready helicopter squadron is to be formed on Wednesday, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Placed under the command of the Taoyuan-based Republic of China Army 601st Air Cavalry Brigade, 29 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, which would eventually form two squadrons, were inspected by Lieutenant General Huang Kuo-ming (黃國明) ahead of an official ceremony on Wednesday.
Of two planned squadrons, the second is to be established first, as its pilots, equipment and training have met the ministry’s standards after a series of tests, the ministry said.
Screengrab courtesy of the Army Command Headquarters
The squadron would be given separate insignia and gear to signify its role in independent operations, said a ministry official who declined to be named.
The first squadron is to temporarily serve as a reserve unit, the official said, adding that it has also passed all tests.
The first squadron is expected to be formally established by the end of the year, the official added.
The brigade has been upgrading its equipment and has proved that it has become a key contributor to the army’s defense strategy, regardless of mobility, firepower and precision strike capability, the official quoted Huang as saying.
Huang hopes military officers would take stock of the unique characteristics of other units and incorporate them in different strategies and tactics, thus making the army a strong and modern military force, the official said.
Ministry officials declined to comment when asked whether the brigade would invite its sister unit in the US Army, the Hawaii-based 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, to attend Wednesday’s event
The nation purchased 30 Apache helicopters for about US$2.5 billion under a deal announced in 2008 by then-US president George W. Bush.
One of the helicopters crashed in 2014.
PROVOCATIVE: Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the UN Sun Lei accused Japan of sending military vessels to deliberately provoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait China denounced remarks by Japan and the EU about the South China Sea at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, and accused Tokyo of provocative behavior in the Taiwan Strait and planning military expansion. Ayano Kunimitsu, a Japanese vice foreign minister, told the Council meeting on maritime security that Tokyo was seriously concerned about the situation in the East China and South China seas, and reiterated Japan’s opposition to any attempt to change the “status quo” by force, and obstruction of freedom of navigation and overflight. Stavros Lambrinidis, head of the EU delegation to the UN, also highlighted South China Sea
The final batch of 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the US arrived at Taipei Port last night and were transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), completing the military’s multi-year procurement of 108 of the tanks. Starting at 12:10am today, reporters observed more than a dozen civilian flatbed trailers departing from Taipei Port, each carrying an M1A2T tank covered with black waterproof tarps. Escorted by military vehicles, the convoy traveled via the West Coast Expressway to the Armor Training Command, with police implementing traffic control. The army operates about 1,000 tanks, including CM-11 Brave Tiger
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said it expects its 2-nanometer (2nm) chip capacity to grow at a compound annual rate of 70 percent from this year to 2028. The projection comes as five fabs begin volume production of 2-nanometer chips this year — two in Hsinchu and three in Kaohsiung — TSMC senior vice president and deputy cochief operating officer Cliff Hou (侯永清) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Silicon Valley, California, last week. Output in the first year of 2-nanometer production, which began in the fourth quarter of last year, is expected to
Taiwan’s drone exports surged past US$100 million in the first quarter, exceeding last year’s full-year total, with the Czech Republic emerging as the largest buyer, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Exports of complete drones reached US$115.85 million in the period, about 1.2 times the total recorded for all of last year, the ministry said in a report. Exports to the Czech Republic accounted for about US$100 million, far outpacing other markets. Poland, last year’s top destination, recorded about US$11.75 million in the first quarter. Taiwan’s drone exports have expanded rapidly in the past few years, with last year’s total
RSS