Taiwan still hopes to buy F-35 fighters from US - defense official

Taiwan continues to hope for jet fighters with stealth, short take-off and vertical landing capabilities, a senior defense official said Tuesday, noting that the US-made F-35 is one option that fits the bill.

There is "a need" for higher performance combat airplanes, said Major General Chang Wen-shuo, deputy director-general of the Defense Ministry's Department of Strategic Planning, at a regular ministry press conference.

Both the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning, both made by Lockheed Martin, are on the purchase list, Chang said, explaining that "necessity" is the top consideration.

Taiwan set to take August delivery of more Apache helicopters

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Taiwan is set to take delivery of six more AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the United States in late August, the Army said Wednesday, in line with a delivery schedule announced after an Apache crashed in northern Taiwan in April.

It will be the fourth shipment of a NT$59.31 billion (US$2.01 billion) order for 30 of the newest Apache model.

"The helicopters are scheduled to arrive in Kaohsiung in late August or early September," an Army official told CNA.

They will be flown to an Army Aviation Special Forces base in the neighboring city of Tainan after being unloaded and checked, the official said.

The latest shipment comes after an Apache crashed into the top of a three-story residential building in Taoyuan County's Longtan Township April 25, damaging four homes but causing no serious injuries.

On July 15, the Army said the environment and human error were found to be the main causes of the crash. Apache training operations had returned to normal before the investigation report was completed, it added.

At the time, the Army said the fourth batch of Apache helicopters would arrive in Taiwan in August, with a final batch expected to be delivered in October.

The crashed chopper was one of 18 that have been delivered to Taiwan by the U.S. since last November.

According to a previous delivery schedule for the final two batches -- said by an Army oficial before the April crash -- the fourth was set to arrive in May and the final one in July. The Army official has attributed the delay to shipping issues.

The model E is the latest in the Apache attack helicopter series. The U.S. and Taiwan are the only two countries using it so far.