The air force has shelved, for now, a plan to buy medium-transport aircraft from either Indonesia or the US because of lack of money.
The new aircraft was being sought to share the heavy workload of the C-130H airlifter, the air force's main workhorse. Indonesia's CN-235, jointly developed by Indonesia and Spain, was one choice, a US-Italian joint venture, the CH-27J transport, was the other.
The CN-235 is considered to have a cost advantage, but is less competitive in terms of flight capabilities and carrying capacity. Though much more expensive, the CH-27J is capable of carrying out combat support missions or working as electronic-warfare platform.
Which plane the air force wanted to buy is not known.
Erich Shih (
"The air force does need a lighter airlifter than the C-130H to carry out less demanding transport missions. The C-130Hs have been used too frequently," Shih said.
"The C-130H should be used for longer-distance airlifting missions, such as carrying personnel and military supplies to offshore islands. But the aircraft has been used mainly within the island, which is not cost-effective," he said. "The operation and maintenance costs for the C-130H are very high."
The C-130H has been in service with the air force since 1986, when it bought around 20 of the planes. It lost one of the aircraft in a deadly crash on Oct. 10, 1997.
For the last 16 years the C-130H has been the air force's only heavy airlifter, but is more often used as an air bus or express delivery cargo plane than as a real military plane.
A defense source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the C-130H has been used as an air bus, flying on a regular basis between Hualien and several fixed destinations in the western part of Taiwan.
RSS