Taiwan Plans To Buy US-Made Attack Choppers

SINO DAILY

An advanced Apache attack helicopters in action.

by Staff Writers
Taipei (AFP) April 11, 2007
Taiwan plans to purchase 30 advanced Apache attack helicopters from the United States in the face of a mounting military threat from rival China, a defence official said Wednesday. The deal would require the approval of the United States, the island's leading arms supplier despite a lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Beijing strongly objects to any arms sales from Washington to Taiwan, which it regards as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

"The attack helicopter deal has been under evaluation," defence ministry spokesman Major-general Wu Chi-fang told AFP, declining to provide details on the sensitive issue.

The Taipei-based China Times reported Wednesday that defence minister Lee Jye had approved two arms packages for an estimated 230 billion Taiwan dollars (6.95 billion US).

This includes 92.4 billion dollars for 30 Boeing attack helicopters, along with the 140 billion-dollar acquisition of 90 transport helicopters to replace the army's ageing UH-1H fleet, one of which crashed into a radio tower last week, killing all eight army officers on board.

The defence ministry immediately ordered the grounding of all remaining choppers of the same model for safety checks.

However, Wu said the reported proposal for transport helicopters was still on the drawing board.

Major General Huang Yi-li from the defence ministry told reporters Tuesday that the UH-1H fleet would be gradually retired in 10 years beginning 2008.

Taiwan has been seeking more advanced weaponry amid Beijing's repeated threats to invade.

In a wide-ranging interview with CNN in January, Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian accused China of provoking the island by targeting it with nearly 1,000 missiles.

Tensions between Taiwan and China have escalated since the independence-leaning leader was elected president in 2000. He was narrowly re-elected in 2004.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

SINO DAILY

Taiwan Unveils Upgraded Home-Made Fighter

Chingchuankang Taiwan (AFP) April 09, 2007
Taiwan Tuesday unveiled an upgraded home-made fighter jet which President Chen Shui-bian said demonstrated the island's determination to defend itself against rival China. A prototype of the sleek twin-seater fighter, an improved version of the Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter IDF-II, scrambled for take-off at the Chingchuankang airbase in central Taiwan.

INTERNET SPACE All Of Russia Will Have Internet And Phone Access Wildblue High-Speed Internet Via Satellite Triples Capacity With New Satellite Publish, Perish Attitudes Make Profs Balk At Online Publication World Getting Ready To Change The Light Bulb	LAUNCH PAD PSLV-C8 To Be Launched On April 23 ILS Proton Successfully Launches Anik F3 Satellite Arianespace To Launch Australian Satellite Optus D3 Arianespace To Launch Two Intelsat Payloads
AEROSPACE Nondestructive Testing Keeps Bagram Aircraft Flying New FAA Oceanic Air Traffic System Designed By Lockheed Martin Fully Operational NASA Seeks New Research Proposals Germans Urged To Give Foreign Travel A Rest To Curb Global Warming	MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS LockMart Team Completes Design Review Phase Of Mobile User Objective System For Navy Boeing Submits Bid To Design AMF JTRS Radio System Raytheon to Pursue US Air Force Network and Space Operations And Maintenance Contract Boeing Helps US Air Force FAB-T Program Win Key Acquisition Award
TECH SPACE Shared Satellite Architecture Enables More Efficient Mission Control EMS Technologies Announces Anti-Jam Antenna Solutions For Commercial Satellite Customers Light-Sensitive Molecule Heals Itself In The Dark TDRS Satellites Set New Standard For Long Life And Reliability	APPOINTMENTS Townsend To Lead Ball Aerospace Exploration Systems In Huntsville NASA Nobel Prize Recipient To Lead Chief Scientist Office Kathryn Kynard Plays Key Role In Ares I Upper Stage Engine Development William Shernit Joins Intelsat General As President and CEO
EARTH OBSERVATION High-Resolution Images Herald New Era In Earth Sciences ISRO To Focus On Societal Projects USGS Defines Roles For New Satellite Mission ESA Signs Arrangement With New Zealand On Tracking Station	GPS NEWS GPS Significantly Impacted By Powerful Solar Radio Burst Russia To Expand Glonass Satellite Group By Year End Lockheed Martin Team Completes GPS 3 System Design Review On Schedule Glonass System To Be Launched By Year-End

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement