The army yesterday said it has taken into consideration a lawmaker's proposal to transfer three newly delivered CH-47SD helicopters to the National Fire Administration (NFA) to strengthen its airborne rescue capabilities.
The proposal, made by DPP lawmaker Tsai Trong-rong (
Tsai put forward the idea following reports that the airborne unit of the NFA is in desperate need of new helicopters to deal with rescue missions that require airlift assistance.
A helicopter of the aero-fire squadron of the NFA crashed on Saturday in Alishan, Chiayi, due to loss of power caused by overloading. The helicopter was one of 20 UH-1Hs that the army transferred to the NFA last year.
The accident has prompted suspicion that the UH-1H, which has been in service for around three decades, is too old for difficult rescue missions.
The army also gave two of the larger B-234 helicopters to the NFA. The B-234, though younger than the UH-1H, has its own problems too.
Since last May, the army has taken delivery of six CH-47SD helicopters, which are much more reliable and powerful than their commercial variant B-234.
The army has ordered a total of nine CH-47SDs from the US, aiming to make use of their rapid deployment capabilities. The six CH-47SDs already here are now under transitional training at an army helicopter base in Tainan.
The CH-47SD is the only new helicopter that the army has bought in recent years. The army has been trying to retire the aging UH-1Hs, but has been hindered by a lack of budget and fierce competition between two foreign helicopter manufacturers who have been fighting over Taiwan's helicopter contracts.
An aide to lawmaker Tsai said Tsai suggested that some of the CH-47SDs be transferred to the NFA because they are surplus to requirements and will only be used for so-called "holiday-making" purposes -- to transport servicemen taking leave.
"If some of the CH-47SDs were to be used for such purposes, it indicated that the army would not need that many CH-47SDs for combat missions," said the aide, who did not want to be identified.
For the defense of the island, the army would not need as many as nine CH-47SDs, either, he said.
In response, a major general in the army general headquarters said the army has taken lawmaker Tsai's proposal into consideration.
However, he added, "Tsai might have misunderstood why we bought the CH-47SDs. These helicopters are to be used purely for combat missions."
"Nine CH-47SDs might be considered by some people to be too many for the army. But frankly speaking, we initially wanted to buy more than nine. We do not think nine CH-47SDs will be too many for us," he said.
The CH-47SDs are expected to become the fulcrum of a rapid reaction force that can be quickly sent to where they are most needed.
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