TAIPEI:  , Taiwan’s air force grounded all training jets after one of the aircraft crashed on Saturday ( Feb 15 ) due to “dual engine failure”, with the pilot ejecting safely.
The air pressure reported in a statement that the locally produced Brave Eagle went down after taking off from Chihhang Air Base in southwestern Taitung state at 8.40 am.
The captain, identified as Major Lin, was rescued and taken to hospital where he was in” great wellness” with no injury, it said.
A specific task force would look into the incident” to understand the cause and assure training safety,” according to the air force, despite the claim that the jet had “dual engine failure.”
All Brave Eagle advanced jet trainers ( AJT) have been grounded for safety checks following the collision, according to the statement.
The AT-5 Brave Eagle, made by state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp with a budget of TW$ 68.6 billion ( US$ 2.1 billion ), had its first test flight in 2020.
Taiwan’s air army claimed the plane left the air base and reported the engine failure. The team parachuted to health and were rescued, it added.
The plane, which had only 183 flying hours, crashed into the water, according to the statement, while the second captain of the dual-cockpit plane was parachuted out after parachuting out, according to the statement, adding that an analysis team has been set up.
Taiwan’s air pressure ideas on taking 66 products by 2026 to change its aged father the AT-3 and United States-made F-5 training plane, which have suffered a series of accidents in recent years.
Although Taiwan’s armed forces are largely US-equipped, the government has prioritized the development of a highly developed, domestic defense sector, especially as China, which claims the island as its own, launches military modernization work and training close to Taiwan.
The AT-5 is Taiwan’s first plane made internally since the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter, or IDF, rolled out more than three decades ago, and the two planes look similar and include similar features.
The AT-5 is used for both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat instruction purposes, and may land and take off using a shorter amount of airport.
Although the development of the plane is still in its assessment stages, it can be equipped with weapons, which will provide help during a conflict.
In the 24-hour period ending 6.00am on Saturday, 19 Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels, one standard ship and one bubble were detected around the area, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.
President Lai Ching-te expressed his hope that the opposition-controlled parliament will address the defense budget’s freezing or cut areas in a statement expressing “our total support for the defense” in a press release on Saturday.
” In the face of China’s risks, the army is resolutely protecting our state”.