Army plans to buy Sikorsky MH-60M Blackhawks: report

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 (吳季方) said. "Currently, `no comment' is the only response you will get from the ministry."

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.