Taiwan requests to buy 6 E-2D advanced early warning aircraft from the U.S.: Source

Taipei, Feb. 4 (CNA) Taiwan has asked the United States to sell it six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft to replace the E-2K AEW aircraft it currently uses, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

Taiwan has twice asked the U.S. to sell it the E-2D aircraft over the years but had retracted one request, considering it already had ground-based radars, according to the source.

In recent years, however, Chinese military incursions have extended into the eastern parts of Taiwan's air defense identification zone, the source said.

The source added that this, coupled with the E-2D's superior ability to detect China's stealth fighter jets, presents Taiwan with a real need for the more advanced AEW aircraft.

Taiwan has "made relevant requests" regarding its proposal to meet the needs of its Air Force, the source said, but did not provide details.

When asked to comment on the issue, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said that it would not disclose any information on arms purchases before a project has been opened and it has secured funding.

The E-2D aircraft are in active service in the U.S. military and is outfitted with the AN/APY-9 radar, which boasts a detection range of about 550 kilometers.

The radar provides aircraft with full range 360-degree situational awareness and is "designed to detect small, highly maneuverable targets in the dense littoral and overland environments," according to the website of its developer Lockheed Martin.

(Bu Matt Yu and Sean Lin) Enditem/cs