Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) and Northrop Grumman Corp yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for upgrading the US firm’s E-2K Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft in Taiwan, AIDC said.
The defense contractors’ representatives inked the memorandum at the Singapore Airshow to signal an agreement for a strategic partnership in the proposed E-2 upgrade project, which would be carried out in Taiwan, it said.
The upgrade program could be a shot in the arm for Taiwan’s efforts to create a self-reliant defense industrial base, including being able to produce components for key weapons, a capability that has taken on greater importance amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
AIDC was the first choice for implementing the E-2K upgrade project thanks to the company’s US Defense Contract Management Agency-approved manufacturing facilities and internationally certified capability to produce critical components, it said.
The company has experience working with an original manufacturer of a foreign-developed combat aircraft, as it is currently implementing an effort to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16A/B jets to F-16V standard, it added.
The Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is a radar-bearing turboprop aircraft designed to detect ships and aircraft in a battlespace, identify friend or foe tasks, direct friendly aircraft in combat operations, and conduct strikes against submarines and ground targets.
The air force operates a fleet of six E-2K, an export variant based on the E-2C model, from an air base in Pingtung. The E-2D, the most advanced Hawkeye variant, is in service with the US Navy.
Taiwan has limited ability to repair the E2-K. In 2022, the Ministry of National Defense was forced to scrap one airframe that sustained landing gear damage during a mishap, deeming its repairs to be prohibitively costly.
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
RSS