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| Three of Taiwan's AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. (File photo/Chen Yi-cheng) |
The Republic of China Army on Monday denied a report in the national United Daily News that the "fire control radar" on the AH-64E Apache attack helicopters purchased from the United States is unable to identify targets at sea.Asked about the May 3 report by lawmakers on Monday, Lt Gen Hao Yii-jy, chief of staff of the Army, said the Apache helicopters are primarily suited for battlefields on land, but their radar is able to identify targets at sea.
Hao acknowledged that the radar's accuracy at sea can be affected by weather conditions, a problem, he said, that every country faces.Citing unnamed military sources, the United Daily News reported that Taiwan had asked that the AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar installed on the Apaches be able to identify targets at sea, but the US said it was unable to meet the requirement until after 2016, when such technology is developed.A military source familiar with the Apaches told CNA that the report was "absolutely untrue" and that the radar on the helicopter could indeed identify targets at sea.
The United Daily News report also said the Army has failed twice to integrate the command system on the helicopter with that of the Army. This means that bullet, missile and fuel information cannot be automatically transmitted back to the commander, but had to be done so manually by the pilots, who should be focusing on the battle, according to the article.When asked by lawmakers about the problem, Hao said the Army had already clarified the media speculation to the Control Yuan, the country's government watchdog agency, and that "integration of the systems has been completed" and these problems "no longer exist."
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140506000085&cid=1101&MainCatID=0
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