In response to media’s coverage “New Apaches are to be sent back to the US next year for costly repairs”, the Army Command Headquarters says today (7^th) that the armed forces bought the AH-64E Apaches by following due processes. AH-64E Apache are the latest types of helicopters also currently in service in the US army. All weaponry is supplied by the US military, and being maintained by the original supplier. The AH-64E currently in ROC armed forces’ possession sees expired warranty; as a result, budgets are drawn to purchase expendable components and parts so as to maintain combat capability. There is no such a thing as “serious flaws found in AH-64E’s primary component and parts that demand sending the helicopter back to the US for maintenance”.

The Army Command Headquarters points out that, in an effort to maintain combat capabilities, the army has signed an agreement with the US military on equipment maintenance, including technology support, repair at the US, engineering research and improvement, as well as equipment testing and calibration, so as to ensure the helicopter is working fine. In the future, the army will proactively seek authorization from the US or seek other channels to try to gain technology transfer and be capable of fixing the helicopter on our own, further lowering maintenance costs. In addition, AH-64E helicopters currently in the army’s possession all follow US military’s technological manuals and notification protocols as part of maintenance operations.

The Army Command Headquarters stresses that the army is designed based on the concept of “combat, equipment, organization, and training”. All weaponry plans are made based on the assessment of enemy threats and prioritized on the needs of armed forces’ joint combat. The Headquarters asks for the public’s support on military-building to ensure the nation has a strong defense force.