The latest addition to Taiwan’s air force rescue squadron, the EC225 search-and-rescue helicopter, is scheduled to be one of many aircraft on display at an air show in Chiayi today, the air force said recently.
Purchased from France, the advanced EC225 Super Puma helicopter will beef up the squadron’s disaster-response capabilities, the Air Force said.
Other military aircraft to be shown to the public at Chiayi Air Base include the country’s main combat warplanes — the F-16A/B aircraft, the Mirage 2000-5 and the Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) — as well as the C-130 transport plane, according to the air force.
Photo: CNA
The air show is to feature flybys and other aerial maneuvers to showcase the skill of air force pilots. For example, the Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team are to fly AT-3 jet trainers and perform a series of spectacular stunts.
The air show is set to include demonstrations of the F-16A/B, the Mirage 2000-5 and the IDF, as well as the S-70C — an aircraft that forms the backbone of the rescue squadron.
Early last month, three all-weather EC225s were commissioned to the air force’s rescue squadron, which is based in Chiayi.
The three EC225 helicopters, which cost US$110 million, are equipped with de-icing systems, life rafts, automatic flight control systems and other advanced devices.
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