Taiwan banned the flight of 52 UH-60M helicopters for post-test inspections, killing the commander of the armed forces.

The flight ban was issued by Taiwan's defense forces on January 2, with all UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter operators. During the period the ban will take effect, 52 UH-60M helicopters will be tested on the control system, radar and chassis structure, the Taiwan Armed Forces spokesman announced today.

Taiwanese armed force commander Shen Yi-ming and seven of them were killed yesterday after a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter carrying them crashed in the mountains near Xinbei city. The plane was carrying a delegation to visit soldiers in Yilan Province, on the northern island of Taiwan.

This is the second deadliest accident of the UH-60M line in Taiwan after a Black Hawk of the search and rescue force crashed near Orchid Island in February 2018, killing 6 people on board.

Taiwan ordered 60 Black Hawk helicopters from the US in 2010 for a total value of US $ 2.8 billion. The contract is expected to end in August this year when the last 6 are delivered. The first units were ready for preliminary operation by the end of 2017.

UH-60 Black Hawk is a tactical transport helicopter that has been used by the US Army since 1979, with a maximum speed of 295 km / h and a ceiling of 5.8 km. Later variants were developed for the US Navy and Coast Guard, and exported to a number of countries and territories around the world.

The modernized variant of the UH-60M has been handed over to the US Army since 2006, adding more modern features and new body panels, electronic flight control systems and more powerful engines than the original UH-60 series. copy.