I. Supervision and Management of Various Aircraft Fleet Maintenance and Strategic Commercial Maintenance Contracts, Achieving Remarkable Results
1. Maintaining high operational and dispatch readiness rates for various fleets, significantly enhancing national disaster relief and rescue capabilities
2. Promoting self-maintenance and commissioned commercial maintenance projects for various fleets, saving over NT$490 million in maintenance costs in 2023
3. Analyzing biannual mechanical engineering case studies (HTR) provided by the U.S. Military. By proactively identifying potential safety hazards through U.S. military engineering technical cases, the flight safety and reliability of the Black Hawk fleet have been significantly enhanced. The professional skills of personnel have been strengthened, and the integration of aircraft health management systems has improved the detection, control, and tracking of abnormal signal data. This effective management of potential risks within the fleet helps prevent aviation safety incidents. According to the NASC statistics, there have been no fatal aviation accidents for five consecutive years from 2019 to 2023, demonstrating an outstanding track record in safety performance.
II. Forward-Looking Promotion of the AS-365N Dauphin Fleet Mid-Term Upgrade Plan, Upholding Sustainable Management Principles
The NASC's fleet of Eurocopter AS365 Dauphins is aging, with aircraft parts and equipment facing the issue of disappearing commercial sourcing avenues (approximately 59 items are affected), impacting aircraft dispatch readiness rates. In March 2022, a " Dauphin Fleet Replacement Planning Task Force" was established, drawing on the optimized design of the U.S. Coast Guard's fleet composition to adopt the most suitable fleet performance upgrade plan. In 2023, the "AS-365N Dauphin Fleet Mid-Term Upgrade Plan" was formulated and approved by the Executive Yuan on February 15, 2024. The plan envisages the replacement of aging N1/N2 models with a unified fleet upgraded to the AS-365N3(+) configuration. The entire fleet will be equipped with modern digital cockpits, full-function autopilot, and advanced navigation and communication systems. Additionally, all wiring will be updated, aircraft performance will be optimized, fleet training management will be streamlined, and flight safety will be enhanced. This upgrade enables the fleet to effectively carry out five major missions: air disaster relief, search and rescue, emergency medical service, reconnaissance and patrol, and transportation, thereby ensuring the safety of people's lives and property.
III. Coordination with the ROC Army and AIT to Share U.S. Military Black Hawk Global Inventory Parts, Reducing Procurement Lead Time and Conserving Public Funds
1. Coordinate with the military to handle follow-up maintenance cases (ZCP) and signing Order No. 2 (KZI and KZG) with the U.S. to improve procurement efficiency.
2. Enhancing Black Hawk helicopter equipment performance through military procurement projects, thereby strengthening rescue capabilities and flight safety.
IV. Effective Use of Project Tianyuan (YZC) Special Funds and Project Management Reviews (PMR) for the Procurement of 50 Sets of Night Vision Equipment, Enhancing Nighttime Search and Rescue Capabilities and Ensuring Night Flight Safety
In October 2018, utilizing special funds from Project Tianyuan, the procurement and pricing adjustments for night vision equipment were successfully completed. In September 2019, General Commander Jing Yan-Yuan led a delegation to the U.S. for the 14th Project Management Review (PMR14). The meeting involved the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the U.S. Army Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD), and the Utility Helicopters Project Office (UHPO) to discuss the project. By December 2019, the U.S. Army expedited the signing of procurement orders with contractors. By early 2024, the national security transportation delivery was completed, with shipping costs covered by the Ministry of National Defense. The estimated cost of approximately NT$19.53 million was fully funded by the ROC Army's Project Tianyuan Special Fund, effectively saving the annual budget expenditure.
V. Achievements in Interagency Collaboration for Shipboard Landing Verification, Support for National Park Cabin Renovations, Comprehensive Duty Management, and Information Security, With Excellent Results
The NASC's performance statistics are as follows: from March 10, 2004, to December 31, 2023, the NASC executed 6,018 disaster relief missions, 7,829 search and rescue missions, 3,564 emergency medical service missions, 10,226 reconnaissance and patrol missions, 838 transportation missions, 9,008 drill exercise (training) missions, 3,785 joint training missions, 27,653 training flights, and 22,508 maintenance flights, totaling 109,615 flights. The total flight hours amounted to 144,854 hours and 2 minutes. The NASC rescued 8,120 people, transported 616,661 kilograms of supplies, and carried 15,411 metric tons of firefighting water during the above period.
VI. Supervision of the Inauguration for the Taitung Hangar Facility and Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Songshan Base, Providing a Better Environment to Reduce Standby Stress and Promote Flight Safety
1. On June 9, 2023, the Minister was invited to preside over the inauguration ceremony of the Taitung base helicopter hangar. The number of Black Hawk helicopters was increased from 2 to 3, significantly enhancing maritime search and rescue capabilities by 50%, and strengthening the protection of the lives and property of residents in the eastern region. The construction of a comprehensive three-dimensional disaster relief base was completed on schedule and with high quality, earning Honorable Mention of the Public Construction Golden Quality Award.
2. On October 2023, Premier Chen and Minister Lin jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the helicopter hangar construction project at the Taipei Songshan base. The project, approved by the Executive Yuan with a mid-term budget of NT$3.4 billion, involves close interagency collaboration between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of National Defense. The construction will include the NASC office building and duty stations. The enhancement of infrastructure at the Songshan base is expected to be completed by 2028, ensuring the Black Hawk helicopters are stationed at Songshan and improving the overall national disaster relief capabilities.