Defense Minister Wellington Koo confirmed at the Legislative Yuan on Oct. 29 that the Army's AH-64E Apaches are fully grounded following a US technical notice. The US Army has stood down more than 400 of the type over gearbox concerns.
The Liberty Times and NOWnews reported that Koo told reporters at the Legislative Yuan on Oct. 29 that the military had received a technical notice from the US and that the Apache helicopters concerned were indeed grounded. He said he hoped to complete inspections quickly and confirm airworthiness. The Army's active AH-64E fleet was reported as 29 aircraft, though whether the Defense Ministry has separately published an official figure was not confirmed.
광고 문의 · 300×250The notice traces back to a US Army order on Oct. 2. According to the Liberty Times defense channel, the Army ordered every AH-64E fitted with the Improved Drive System gearbox to stop flying immediately until required inspections and corrective actions are complete. Foreign media said more than 400 of roughly 700 US Apaches are affected, covering most active-duty and National Guard units with a few exceptions deployed on the Middle East front.
Gearbox concern and earlier accidents
Reports identified the suspected part as the main gearbox. If it fails internally, power may not reach the accessory gearbox, which could cost the aircraft tail rotor thrust and its electrical and hydraulic systems at once. Defense One reported that a US Army investigation raised this possibility in May, and that the AH-64E had four major flight accidents in the last fiscal year, one of them a catastrophic drivetrain failure.
Separately, an Apache crash on Aug. 12 killed two aviators and briefly grounded that fleet. The Liberty Times summarized US officials as saying that crash involved an older model and was unrelated to the drivetrain issue. No end date has been set for the current stand-down, and some reports said inspections could take months.
Koo said AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters and OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scouts will rotate through alert duty. On reports that Taiwan was weighing an early return of low-hour Apaches, the Liberty Times quoted him stressing that inspection and airworthiness confirmation come first.
Taiwan has operated Apaches since 2013 and treats them as a core asset for coastal defense and ground strike. The Defense Ministry has not said, however, whether the grounding amounts to a real capability gap or when flights will resume. US technical support and the outcome of airworthiness checks are likely to set the timeline.
