Taiwanese pilot ‘mistakenly fired decoy projectile’ in encounter with PLA warplane
- It’s not known when or where the incident happened, but source tells local newspaper the ‘defensive act did not lead to an exchange of fire’
- There was a similar incident when a US surveillance plane was being monitored near the island
A Taiwanese fighter jet pilot mistakenly fired a self-defence weapon during a recent encounter with a PLA warplane, according to a local newspaper.
It was not known when or where the incident took place, but an unidentified source familiar with the matter told China Times on Monday that the situation did not escalate further.
“The firing of an infrared decoy projectile is a defensive act, so it did not lead to an exchange of fire,” the source was quoted as saying.
Decoy projectiles are usually used during conflict to avoid being hit by an incoming missile.
In a separate incident, another Taiwanese pilot accidentally fired an infrared decoy projectile when monitoring a United States P-3C surveillance plane near the island, the source told the newspaper, without elaborating.