Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - The new jet trainer , which will replace the outdated and accident-prone old equipment, was unveiled by T...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - The new jet trainer, which will replace the outdated and accident-prone old equipment, was unveiled by Taiwan's air force on Wednesday. The aircraft was built and manufactured locally and boasted more modern, combat-capable capabilities.
Although the majority of Taiwan's military equipment comes from the United States, President Tsai Ing-wen has prioritised the growth of a sophisticated domestic defence industry, particularly as China, which claims the island as its own, intensifies military modernization efforts and drills close to Taiwan.
In 2020, the state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp's new AT-5 Brave Eagle, which cost T$68.6 billion ($2.3 billion), made its first test flight.
Since the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter, or IDF, debuted more than three decades ago, this is Taiwan's first locally produced jet. The two fighters share a similar appearance and feature set.
At the Chihhang air base in Taitung on Taiwan's east coast, three Brave Eagles soared into the air to demonstrate their capabilities in front of reporters.
The Brave Eagle, according to flight training officer Chang Chong-hao, can land and take off using a smaller length of runway and is appropriate for both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training.
Therefore, it gives the kids greater room to handle some unexpected events.
Although it is still in the testing phase, the Brave Eagle trainer can be outfitted with weaponry. The aircraft is made to provide help in times of conflict.
Air force official Huang Chun-yuan said, "We're not involved in the weaponry part; those tests are up to the company ADIC. Tandem flying and general conversion instruction are currently our primary missions.
The old AT-3 and F-5 training aircraft, which have recently been involved in a number of crashes, will be replaced by 66 units by Taiwan's air force by 2026. Three F-5s have crashed in the last year or two, while an AT-3, a variant that made its first flight in 1980, fell in May.
The F-5s were the first aircraft to be used in Taiwan in the 1970s, although they are no longer primary combat aircraft.
