Taipei, June 2 (CNA) Taiwan's Air Force is planning to spend billions of Taiwan dollars to upgrade its existing C-130 military transport aircraft fleet starting next year to enhance its collision avoidance and sea rescue capabilities among other systems, a source familiar with the matter told CNA Sunday.
The planned overhaul of the Air Force's existing 20 C-130s is scheduled to take place from 2025 to 2030. The main focus will be on upgrading the warplanes so they have integrated cockpits and improved sea rescue capabilities, according to the unnamed source.
In addition, C-130 simulators will be purchased and aging systems will be upgraded to ensure each plane has an updated GPS and improved position report capabilities and collision avoidance systems, the source added.
The estimated budget for the five-year project is still being finalized but it could surpass NT$10 billion (US$30.7 million), it said.
Taiwan's Air Force first bought 20 C-130Hs and another C-130HE, a modified electronic warfare aircraft, from the United States in the early 1980s. The first batch of 12 C-130Hs entered into service in Taiwan in 1986.
The force lost one of its 20 C-130H, serial number 1310, in a 1997 crash at Taipei Songshan Airport.
The Air Force C-130 fleet currently has a total of 20 such models that serve as the main transporter aircraft for the nation's armed forces.
C-130Hs have four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops with 4,591 prop shaft horsepower designed to take off and land on short runways. This means they can land on the 1,150-meter airstrip at Taiping Island, a Taiwan-controlled island known internationally as Itu Aba, in the disputed South China Sea.
- Taiwan budgets US$1.33 billion for advanced F-16V EW systemsTaiwan has earmarked NT$42.8 billion (US$1.33 billion) to procure an advanced electronic warfare (EW) suite known as the Viper Shield, which its military hopes to install in the F-16V fighter jets it has ordered from the United States, according to a Ministry of National Defense (MND) spending plan.09/09/2024 09:08 PM
- MND earmarks NT$4.9 billion to bolster backbone networkThe Ministry of National Defense (MND) has earmarked about NT$4.9 billion (US$152.9 million) to acquire backbone subnetworks for faster and more stable battlefield data transmission.09/05/2024 09:58 PM
- Taiwan should prepare to coordinate joint operations with US: ExpertsTaiwan should prepare to coordinate joint operations with the United States in case a cross-strait conflict arises, Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), has suggested.09/02/2024 04:20 PM
- Business
Taiwan eyes talent, funding cooperation with Japan to boost innovation
09/17/2024 10:52 PM - Society
- Politics
U.S. Navy plane transits Taiwan Strait
09/17/2024 09:37 PM - Politics
China tailors drills for Taiwan invasion: U.S. Air Force official
09/17/2024 08:39 PM - Society
Prosecutors seek detention of driver in crash that killed 1, injured 6
09/17/2024 08:21 PM