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Taiwan put into service Tuesday its fleet of Apache attack helicopters manufactured in the United States, improving its defenses against a growing military threat from China.
The United States sold 30 Apache AH-64E – also known as "tank killer". "- in Taiwan under a $ 6.5 billion armament agreement announced in 2008 that angered Beijing.
China sees the self-managed island as part of its own territory to be reunited, by force if necessary, and opposed to any arms sale in Washington
Washington is the biggest deterrent against any Chinese invasion. 39, has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it must provide defensive weapons under the 1979 law on relations with Taiwan.
The Taiwanese army was the first force outside the United States to use the latest Apache AH-64 variant of Boeing, which was delivered to the island between November 2013 and October 2014.
Boeing describes it as "the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter in the world." world "and it was sold to countries like Japan and the United Kingdom.
a ceremony that took place Tuesday at a military base in the northwestern city of Taoyuan, the captain described the commissioning of the fleet as "a very powerful line of defense" . ", Adds Tsai, adding that 84 weeks of flight training are required to qualify as an Apache pilot
The Apaches were joined by other aircraft to fly overhead and maneuver in flight
was damaged during the forced landing on a building during training in April 2014.
The Taiwan Army also introduced the first female Apache pilot AH-64E in Asia. Yang Yun-hsuan, an army commander, said that she was following in the footsteps of her father, who was also a pilot.
China has intensified diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since Beijing's skeptical Tsai took office two years ago. , including the staging of a series of military exercises near the island.
Beijing is also exasperated by recent warming movements between Washington and Taipei. These include the US Department of State's approval of a preliminary license needed to sell underwater technologies to the island.
Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan, at a ceremony ordering new Apache helicopters AH-64E in Taoyuan
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