Taiwan's first Apache combat squad was formally commissioned Wednesday under the Army Aviation and Special Forces Command in a ceremony at the command's 601st Brigade base in Taoyuan's Longtan District.

After undergoing more than two years of training on Taiwan's most advanced attack helicopters, one of the country's two Apache squads was formally commissioned on 28 June, which is expected to contribute greatly to improving the army's combat capability, according to the command. 

Taiwan purchased 30 AH-64E Apache helicopters from the United States under a deal announced in 2008, and took delivery of the choppers from November 2013 to October 2014.