President Tsai Ing-wen presided over the commissioning of Taiwan’s first AH-64E Apache helicopter squadron July 17 in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City, describing the aircraft as a milestone in government efforts to upgrade the defensive capabilities of the armed forces.
Advanced weapons give the military the confidence and strength to carry out its core mission, Tsai said. But it is the men and women in uniform who are the heart and soul of its fighting spirit, she added. This powerful combination makes for another arrow in the Ministry of National Defense’s quiver and gives real bite to its new strategy based on resolute resistance and multiple deterrence, Tsai said.
According to the president, the government is fully committed to fast-tracking all related training and weapons programs so as to ensure the squadron operated by the Army Aviation and Special Forces Command develops into one of the best of its kind in the world. Although it took nearly five years to activate the U.S.-made helicopters following delivery of the first aircraft in November 2013, Tsai said the wait was well worth it and allowed time for intensive training of pilots and ground crew, as well as establishing requisite infrastructure facilities and logistical services.
Taiwan purchased 30 Apaches from the U.S. as part of a US$6.43 billion arms deal finalized in October 2008, with one lost during a training flight in 2014. Other equipment in the package included fighter jet spare parts, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Javelin anti-tank missile systems and Patriot missile batteries. (SFC-E)
