ROCA Apache attack helicopter

[Ayoshi]

http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2018/jul/17/taiwans-apache-attack-helicopters-goes-into-service-amid-china-tensions-1844547.html


Taiwan Military (Photo | AP)

[Ayoshi]

From: The Diplomat

Taiwan Showcases AH-64E Apache Guardian Helicopters - December 14, 2013

Taiwan, which had initially ordered the AH-64D Block III under the Tian Ying, or “Sky Eagle” program, was the first international client for the Guardian model, which attained initial operating capability (IOC) in the U.S. Army in November 2013.

The “Echo” model — the most advanced in the Apache family — comes equipped with the AN/APG-78 “Longbow” Fire Control Radar, which automatically searches, detects, locates, classifies, and prioritizes fixed and moving targets on land, sea, and in the air in all weather environments and battlefield conditions.

The Apache Guardian is armed with an M230 30mm chain gun, which can fire up to 625 high-explosive dual-purpose rounds per minute, and can be configured to carry AGM-114L “Hellfire” air-to-ground missiles (a total of 16 for anti-armor missions), AIM-9 “Sidewinder” air-to-air missiles, and Hydra 70 2.75-inch rockets.

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Grounded: Taiwan’s US-Made Attack Helicopter Fleet is Rusting Away - October 30, 2015

The aircraft’s manufacturer Boeing has also dispatched a special task force to help identify the cause of the technical difficulties, which could be due to Taiwan’s “wet and high humidity climate, seasonal monsoon rains blowing salt-laden ocean water inland, or improper maintenance and handling by ground service crew,” according to the media report.

Major General Huang Kuo-ming, commander of the Army Aviation Special Forces Command, stated that nine helicopters had to be grounded due to serious oxidation on metal components, which was discovered in the helicopters’ tail rotor gearboxes- made of a new aluminum-magnesium alloy.

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Rescue workers lift a damaged American-made AH-64E attack helicopter from a roof in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, on April 25, 2014. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images). via defensenews.com

[Ayoshi]

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/07/18/taiwans-apache-guardian-helicopters-reach-major-milestone/


Two American-made AH-64E attack helicopters demonstrate their combat skills during a commissioning ceremony at an military base in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on July 17, 2018. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

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Taiwan welcomes Asia's first woman Apache helicopter pilot, 29 new choppers | news4europe.eu - July 17, 2018

At a ceremony attended by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, the army welcomed into the Apache ranks Major Yun Hsuan Yang, the first female AH-64E Apache attack helicopter pilot in Asia, who was presented in front of a row of the new aircraft, an efe-epa journalist reports.

The 29 newly-commissioned AH-64E Apache attack helicopters were lined up on the tarmac of a military base in Taoyuan City, just west of the capital Taipei.

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Speaking about the training that Yun and other pilots undertook to be able to navigate the Apache aircraft, Tsai said, "A qualified Apache pilot requires 84 week of flight training and 30 hours of flight. The excellent flight skills performed today is the result of training which was full of hardship".

One Apache AH-64E helicopter, made by aerospace firm Boeing costs around $31 million, according to data from the US Department of Defense.

[Ayoshi]

Taiwan’s Apache Guardian helicopters reach major milestone | Defense news - July 18, 2018

The commissioning of Taiwan’s fleet of 29 Apache Guardians is a big leap in capability for the island, which has up to now been operating the remaining survivors of 63 Bell AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters delivered in the 1990s.

The ceremony was attended by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who said in her speech that the brigade has a vital role in the Taiwanese military’s efforts to defend Taiwan and deter the enemy.

The 601st Aviation Brigade is made up of two squadrons that operate Taiwan’s 29 Apache Guardians, with the first squadron achieving full operational capability in July 2017.

It was revealed in 2011 that Taiwan had signed a contract, reported to be worth up to $1.91 billion, for 30 Apache Guardians following notification to Congress by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the sale in October 2008. Deliveries started in 2012, and crew training in the United States began later that same year.

The first six helicopters were ferried by sea to Taiwan in November 2013, and the remaining Apache Guardians were delivered in batches. The last helicopters were received in October 2014, although by this time one had been written off when it crashed into a residential building in Taoyuan County, northern Taiwan, in April that year.

[Ayoshi]

Taiwan looks to set up Apache support centre

http://defenseph.net/drp/index.php?topic=3990.0

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/95571/boeing-delivers-500th-apache-guardian

Boeing delivers 500th Apache Guardian
16 April 2020

Boeing has delivered 500 AH-64E helicopters to the US Army and eight international customers, including Taiwan (pictured). (Republic of China Army)