The military has posted a NT$126 million (US$3.86 million) open procurement notice for plane propellers, expected to be part of a NT$10 billion air force project to upgrade its C-130 aircraft over the next six years.
While funding for the project, known as Taiwushan III, has not been listed on the Ministry of National Defense’s budget for next year, the preliminary administrative fee of NT$126 million is understood to be required for the upgrade process.
The document lists an exchange rate of US$1 to NT$30.651, indicating a procurement cost of US$4.11 million.
Photo: CNA
The first batch of 12 C-130s purchased from the US, which were assembled in 1984, have been in service for 40 years, the military said.
The Taiwushan projects are initiated based on the purchase dates of the C-130 plane batches, with the most recent project to target the third batch of planes for upgrades.
Upgrades are to include a new cockpit interface suite, increased sea search-and-rescue operations capabilities, GPS, plane location systems and anti-collision systems.
Separately, the ministry said it had detected three Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force planes and six PLA Navy ships in the vicinity of Taiwan between 6am on Tuesday and 6am yesterday.
Two of the PLA Air Force aircraft were combat jets operating in the vicinity of the Taiwan Strait, while the third was a helicopter sighted somewhere off the east coast of Taiwan, it said.
Meanwhile, a balloon originating from a Chinese-held territory passed near Taiwan, about 64 nautical miles (118.53km) northwest of Keelung, at an altitude of about 6,706m, at 8:22am on Tuesday, but disappeared from radar at about 10:25am, it said.
The ministry said it closely monitored the aircraft, scrambling fighters and ships, and preparing coastal-based missile systems.
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