Three Black Hawk helicopters from the US were delivered to Taiwan yesterday and are scheduled to be put into service as rescue aircraft in March, the Ministry of the Interior said.
The UH-60M helicopters arrived at Kaohsiung Port as part of a US$3.1 billion arms deal that was approved by the US in early 2010.
Equipped with forward looking infrared night vision enhancement systems, the three Black Hawks are to be deployed in the National Airborne Service Corps (NASC), particularly for nighttime search-and-rescue missions at sea, the ministry said.
Yesterday’s delivery was the third batch in a fleet of 60 UH-60M Black Hawks in the arms package, which also includes two Osprey Class mine-hunting ships, 12 ATM-84L and RTM-84L Harpoon Block II Telemetry missiles, 114 Patriot Advanced Capability missiles, US$2.82 billion worth of technical support, 35 multifunctional information distribution systems (MIDS) low volume terminals and 25 MIDS on ships terminals.
Of the 60 Black Hawks in the package, 15 are to be given to the NASC to boost its search and rescue fleet of AS-365N Dauphin helicopters, while the others would go to the Army Aviation Special Forces in Guiren, according to the ministry.
A Black Hawk helicopter is capable of carrying 12 troops with equipment, airlifting a 4.1 tonne external payload and taking off with a maximum weight of 10.66 tonnes.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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