On August 13, 1969, AIDC signed an agreement with Bell to assemble 118 UH-1H for the ROC Army.
Included in the work was the co-production of eighty Avco Lycoming T53-L-13B turboshaft engines
for these helicopters, which AIDC shared 23.7% of the work.
To accomondate the engine production, AIDC established the Jiehshou No. 2 Factory in 1972.
The first UH-1H was rolled out on December 14, 1970 and the last one was completed in 1976.
In addition to being used for troop transportation,
A number of ROCA UH-1H had been locally fitted with 2.75-in rocket launchers to provide gunship
capabilities before the Army acquired the AH-1W.
The UH-1H have also been instrumental in disaster relief missions.
In the wake of the earthquake on September 21, 1999, these venerable helicopters were used
extensively in medical evacuation and dropping relief supplies.
One UH-1H crashed after returning from a disaster relief mission; fortunately, the three on board
were safe.
The UH-1H have also played an important role in Taiwan's diplomacy.
They have been given away to Taiwan's alliances to strengthen their ties with Taiwan.
A list of such transfers are as follows:
- Panama: Five UH-1H were donated to Panama's police in 1997 to be used for counter-narcotics activities
and patrols along Panama's border with Colombia.
- Paraguay: When Paraguayan President Luis Angel Gonzalez Macchi made a
state visit to Taiwan in 1999, the Taiwan government promised to donate six UH-1H to Paraguay.
The first two helicopters were presented to Paraguay's military in a ceremony attended by
ROCA Commander-in-Chief General Cheng-hsiang Chen in March 2001.
The third and fourth UH-1H were delivered in January 2002.
- Macedonia: In 2000, Taiwan announced that it is going to donate one
UH-1H to the Macedonian Air Force,although the Taiwan Government later changed the decision and instead
donated US 5 million to the Macedonian Government
that was used for buying one new Bell 412.
- Malawi: During the visit of President Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika of the Republic of Malawi to Taiwan in January 2005,
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Taiwan would donate four "de-militarized" UH-1H to Malawi
"to maintain law and order".
In 2002, around twenty UH-1H were transferred from the ROCA, along with the three Boeing 234MLR,
to the new airborne firefighting unit established under the auspice of the National Fire Administration.
Prior to the transfer, Wire Strike Protection Systems (WSPS), made of the upper and lower wire cutters
and the windshield deflector, were installed on these UH-1H by Tainan-based Air Asia.
The Army also opted to fitted some of its own UH-1H with the same modifications.
Fleet Images
301
|
314
|
316
|
329
|
331
|
350
|
353
|
354
|
357
|
359
|
360
|
364
|
368
|
370
|
379
|
382
|
386
|
390 (Photo by Jason Tu)
|
394
|
395
|
401
|
411
|
413
|
414
|
424
|
|
|
|
Fleet Information
ROCA Ser. No. |
AIDC Ser. No. |
Remark |
|
ROCA Ser. No. |
AIDC Ser. No. |
Remark |
|
|