Taiwan has taken delivery of four more UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, part of a package of 60 aircraft from the US, after the second consignment was shipped to southern Taiwan earlier this week, the army said yesterday.
The four Black Hawks arrived in Kaohsiung on Sunday and were put through ground and air testing after being unloaded and assembled, the army said.
After undergoing standard inspections and testing yesterday, two were flown to an Army Aviation Special Forces Command base in Tainan’s Guiren District (歸仁), with the remaining two scheduled to be flown to the location later yesterday, the army said.
The Guiren base is where army personnel receive training on the new helicopters, officials have said.
In early 2010 the US government announced it would sell Taiwan the 60 Black Hawks, worth a total of US$3.1 billion.
The first four choppers were shipped to Taiwan in December last year.
The helicopters are to be delivered to Taiwan in 10 consignments, with the final batch of three to be shipped in 2019, the military said.
The Black Hawks are replacing the army’s aging fleet of UH-1H utility helicopters and are to be deployed in northern and southern Taiwan for combat and rescue missions, the army said.
The Black Hawks are among the various types of aircraft set to participate in a military display scheduled for July 4 at a military base in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), to mark the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Japan in World War II.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
China Airlines Ltd (CAL) yesterday morning joined SkyTeam’s Aviation Challenge for the fourth time, operating a demonstration flight for “net zero carbon emissions” from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok. The flight used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a ratio of up to 40 percent, the highest proportion CAL has achieved to date, the nation’s largest carrier said. Since April, SAF has become available to Taiwanese international carriers at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Kaohsiung International Airport and Taoyuan airport. In previous challenges, CAL operated “net zero carbon emission flights” to Singapore and Japan. At a ceremony at Taoyuan airport, China Airlines chief sustainability
RSS