Taiwan seeks tenders to upgrade C-130 aircraft

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) Taiwan's military on Wednesday issued a public notice to invite tenders to upgrade its existing C-130 military transport aircraft, as part of a six-year project to overhaul its aging C-130 fleet.

A public notice posted on the Government e-Procurement System shows that the R.O.C. Defense Mission to the U.S.A. is seeking tenders to purchase C-130 aircraft propellers for an estimated NT$126 million (US$3.85 million).

The tender that will be awarded the contract will be announced on Jan. 8, 2025 and the contract is scheduled to be run until December 2025, according to information on Taiwan's Government e-Procurement System.

CNA has learned that the public notice means that the military has officially started a planned overhaul of the Air Force's existing 20 C-130s to enhance its collision avoidance and sea rescue capabilities among other systems.

The upgrade program will take place from 2025 to 2030.

An unnamed military source confirmed in June that the main focus of the project will be on upgrading the warplanes so they have integrated cockpits and improved sea rescue capabilities.

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 said.

The estimated budget for the six-year project could surpass NT$10 billion, the source added.

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.

It lost one of its 20 C-130Hs, 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.