TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Air Force has approved an overhaul of the avionics systems in its fleet of 20 C-130 transport aircraft.
A group of Air Force personnel will be sent to the U.S. in October to attend the 2023 C-130 Technical Coordination Group World Wide Review, which is a U.S. Air Force-sanctioned event that shares new technologies and improvements to allow operating countries to continue flying the plane. The group will gather information on the latest usage conditions from the U.S. military and other countries and negotiate relevant upgrades, Liberty Times reported.
This year’s World Wide Review will take place from Oct. 23–27 in Orlando, Florida. Taiwan Air Force personnel have attended previous events, including in 2019, 2021, and 2022.
The upgrades will ensure Taiwan’s C-130s continued performance and functionality. Currently, there are 19 C-130H aircraft and one C-130HE, which is an electronic warfare aircraft. Other decisions regarding the plane’s defense capabilities will be subject to further evaluation, the Air Force said.
Taiwan’s first batch of C-130s first entered service in 1984 and has been in operation ever since.
The C-130 can transport various oversized cargo, including utility helicopters, armored vehicles, standard palletized cargo, and troops, according to the U.S. Air Force. It can airdrop loads up to 42,000 pounds (19,050 kilograms), it added.
