A Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday that the army would seek to replace its remaining Bell AH-1W Super Cobras with Sikorsky MH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, but the military refused to comment on the story.
"Let me say it one more time. This idea is in the concept stage only," Ministry of National Defense Spokesman Rear Admiral Wu Chi-fang (
It was the second time that Wu had been approached for comment regarding the army's plan to purchase new helicopters.
Defense News reported last week that the military was planning to purchase 30 attack helicopters from the US to replace its 62 remaining AH-1Ws, which were purchased in 1993. Bell AH-1Z Cobras, Boeing AH-64D Apache Block IIIs and Sikorsky MH-60M helicopters were all being considered, according to Defense News.
Yesterday, the China Times newspaper reported that the MH-60M was now favored by the army.
The report acknowledged that all military purchases were dependent on the annual budget, and that the purchase was still in the planning stage. Furthermore, the paper said, the budget proposal for the next fiscal year was not yet complete.
In addition to replacing its AH-1Ws, the army is also likely to retire its remaining Bell UH-1H Iroquois, which are more than 30 years old.
Because parts for the UH-1H are no longer manufactured, it has become extremely difficult for the army to maintain these helicopters.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
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