Two upgraded E-2K airborne early-warning aircraft that were sent to the US for upgrades were delivered to Kaohsiung International Airport Station on Saturday for follow-up tests and inspections.
In October 2008, the US agreed to the first arms sales deal to Taiwan since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office, which included the US$250 million upgrade of four E-2T aircraft to the Hawkeye 2000 standard.
To avoid its combat capabilities being affected by the upgrade process, the Taiwanese military sent the four E-2T aircraft to the US in two batches.
Photo: CNA
The first batch of two E-2Ts sent in June 2010 returned to serve in Taiwan at the end of 2011, while the other two E-2Ts were sent to the US in 2011.
The upgrade of the four E-2Ts has now been completed. In June 2010, two E-2Ts were sent to the US to undergo upgrades and were eventually redesignated as E-2Ks.
The Northrop Grumman-built E-2K is an all-weather early-warning and control system platform equipped with eight-blade propellers, upgraded radar and surveillance systems, software and avionics.
The E-2K aircraft’s performance is equivalent to that of the E-2C, which is in service with the US Air Force.
Airborne early-warning and control aircraft have radar systems designed to provide functions such as early warning of the approach of low-flying enemy attacks, guiding fighters to execute interception and control missions, carrying out regional air surveillance and electronic reconnaissance and assisting search and rescue guidance as well as communications relay.
In recent years, airborne early-warning aircraft have been widely used for search-and-rescue missions.
The Ministry of National Defense said that Taiwan’s overall defense network will be significantly improved following the arrival of the E-2Ks and the integration of the nation’s command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
RSS