Taiwan grounds Apaches over transmission failure risk

Taiwan's first six Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters arrived in Kaohsiung Port on 4 November. Source: Republic of China Army

Taiwan has grounded six recently delivered AH-64E Apache attack helicopters due to the risk of main transmission failure, the country's Ministry of National Defence (MND) revealed on 18 December.

Defense Minister Yen Ming said the United States had told Taiwan that the malfunction was affecting US Army AH-64Es and as a result Taipei had suspended all AH-64E operations for safety checks. Taiwan is the first foreign operator of the AH-64E, which entered US Army service in late 2011.

Speaking during a meeting of the legislative Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Lieutenant General Hao Yii-jy, Chief of Staff of the Army, said the US had told the MND on 17 December. The MND said it has suspended all Apache training operations "pending a full investigation being carried out by the United States into the cause of the malfunction".

Taiwan's Chinese-language media has reported that Boeing "technical specialists" are in Taiwan to help conduct the safety checks.

The MND took delivery of the six helicopters from the US on 4 November. President Ma Ying-jeou oversaw the official delivery ceremony on 13 December at the Army Aviation Special Forces base in Tainan, southern Taiwan.

The six Apaches are the first batch of 30 purchased from the US under a USD2.01 billion agreement signed in 2008. The second batch is scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan early in 2014, and the last by the end of 2014.

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