TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Army is assessing a plan to purchase 30 additional Black Hawk helicopters from the US to strengthen strike capabilities, according to a military source.
The Army aims to increase the number of platforms capable of launching Hellfire missiles and rockets, Liberty Times reported. It also plans to retrofit its existing utility Black Hawk helicopters so they can fire Hellfire missiles, rockets, and other weapons.
The Army originally procured 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the US a decade ago, but 15 of them were transferred to the National Airborne Service Corps, and another 15 were assigned to the Air Force’s rescue unit. The Army retained 30 helicopters, all of which are used for transport roles.
The helicopters can be fitted with heavy machine guns on both sides of the cabin but do not have dedicated weapons systems.
The military source said that while the Army has a substantial stockpile of Hellfire missiles, the platforms capable of carrying them are limited to two attack helicopters: the Apache and SuperCobra. The source added that Black Hawk helicopters are not equipped with the pylons and systems needed to carry and fire missiles or rockets.
In a Taiwan Strait conflict, attack helicopters could suffer combat losses, reducing the number of airborne platforms able to launch missiles and rockets, the source said. Therefore, contingency planning is necessary.
