TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Army is considering retiring its fleet of 37 Kiowa helicopters earlier than planned due to a lack of spare parts and difficulty sourcing them.

The Army spent around NT$490 million (US$15.5 million) in 2018 on 12 years’ worth of spare parts but is still concerned about the risk of aging components, particularly the mast-mounted sight, according to Liberty Times. If the sight fails or malfunctions frequently, the helicopter would lose its critical ability to guide Hellfire missiles to their targets.

With that in mind, the Army said retiring the Kiowa as early as 2028 is both possible and necessary. To replace the helicopters, it is evaluating the US-made JUMP 20 drones as an option.

Military sources said the US government provided Taiwan with a small number of JUMP 20 drones as part of its military assistance program. They were handed over to the Navy and the Coast Guard Administration for trial use and assessment and have so far been praised for their vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

The drones can operate for up to 14 hours and have a range of approximately 185 kilometers.