The delivery of a fleet of locally made jet trainers to the air force has been delayed due to problems with external procurement of components and systems, the military said in a report to the legislature yesterday.
The military’s top research unit, the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, and the government-funded Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) are replacing some of the parts ordered externally with components made in Taiwan, the report said.
The report was issued to explain to lawmakers why AIDC had only delivered 43 of the 66 Brave Eagle advanced jet trainers to the air force by the end of last month.
Photo: Liu Jen-wei, Taipei Times
AIDC told the institute that delivery of the planes was behind schedule primarily because of delays in the shipment of seven “externally bought systems and parts.”
The seven parts and systems consist of engines, environmental control systems, canopy protection systems, landing gear, hydraulic tanks, air door actuators and emergency shut-off valves, the Ministry of National Defense said.
AIDC and the institute are replacing three of the seven — the hydraulic tanks, air door actuators and emergency shut-off valves — with domestically made ones to catch up with the delivery schedule.
As for the other four systems, AIDC is working with suppliers to have them expedite their shipments, the ministry said.
The air force started to receive the domestically made trainers from AIDC in 2021 to replace its aging AT-3 jet trainers.
Aside from the 47 planes delivered last month, the remaining aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in the first half of next year.
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