Taiwan Gets E-2C Upgrade

Taiwan Gets E-2C Upgrade (NSI News Source Info) December 10, 2008: U.S. Naval Air Systems Command awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $5.6 million order on Dec. 9 to provide sustaining engineering support for Taiwan's E-2C Hawkeye Airborne and Early Warning (AEW) Program. Work will be performed in the United States and is scheduled to be complete in December 2009. Taiwan's Air Force has six E-2 aircraft in its inventory. It ordered four E-2T aircraft for $700 million in 1993, rebuilt E-2Bs with AN/APS-145 radar, taking delivery in 1995. In 1999, Taiwan ordered two additional E-2 Hawkeye 2000 aircraft for $400 million taking delivery in 2004.

The AN/APS-145 radar is capable of tracking more than 2,000 targets and controlling the interception of 40 hostile targets at ranges over 550km The aircraft make up the 2nd AEW Squadron, 20th Group, 6th Composite Wing, Pingtung Air Base, in west central Taiwan. One E-2T was severely damaged in March 1997 after landing without its wheels down. It has since been completely refurbished and reinstated. Taiwan did modify one C-130 in 1993 into a C-130HE (1351) now assigned to the 6th Wing. There have been discussions on procuring three additional C-130s for electronic warfare and procuring two signal intelligence aircraft, but internal problems have seriously delayed plans. Taiwan procured 20 C-130s in the early 1990s; one crashed in 1997. Taiwan has looked at the procurement of additional C-130s or possibly C-27J Spartan transport aircraft for its future transport needs. Taiwan's state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development manufactures the C-27Js tail assemblies.