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Lawrence Chung

A missing Taiwanese fighter jet is believed to have crashed soon after take-off on Tuesday evening, the island’s air force said.
If confirmed, the accident will be another blow to Taiwan’s military following the death of a pilot after his plane crashed into the sea last month.
In the latest incident, the F-16A disappeared from the radar two minutes after taking off from an airbase in Hualien on the east coast of the island at 6.05pm, according to a brief statement from the air force.
The plane was around 16km (10 miles) over the sea when controllers lost contact with the pilot, later identified as Colonel Chiang Cheng-chih, and a search mission has started.
The island’s Rescue Coordination Centre said it had sent a helicopter to look for the missing plane with help from five coastguard vessels.

The air force said Chiang, a squadron commander, had completed 2,230 hours of flying time.
The plane went missing just hours after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen attended a memorial service for a pilot who was killed on October 29.
Tsai, accompanied by Defence Minister Yen Te-fa, presented a medal to the family of Chu Kuan-meng, who died when his F-5E crashed into the sea soon after taking off from Chihang airbase in Taitung.
Does Taiwan’s caution on ‘military training’ show US support has limits?
The air force grounded all 46 of its F-5s after the accident and they had only resumed operations on Monday.
The planes had previously been grounded after a crash in Hualien in 2011.
Taiwan’s air force has also lost seven F-16s to crashes, six of them fatal, since 1988. In the most recent incident two years ago, one of the fighters crashed into the mountains near Taipei during the annual invasion drill, killing the pilot Wu Yen-ting.
Taiwan now has 142 F-16A and F-16B jets and opened Asia’s first F-16 centre in August.
Taiwan: ‘slim chance’ of Biden repeat of Trump’s call with Tsai
The NT$110 billion (US$3.9 billion) facility in Taichung was jointly established by Taiwan’s state-run Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation and US-based Lockheed Martin, which makes the fighters.
The Northrop F-5, which was first assembled on Taiwan in 1973, used to be the mainstay of the island’s air force and at one time it had 242 single-seated F-5Es and 66 twin-seater F-5Fs.
But since the military started equipping itself with F-16s as well as French Mirages and the domestically designed F-CK-1, its role has been downgraded.


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Taiwan

Taiwan F-16 fighter thought to have crashed into sea two minutes after take-off

Taiwan has more than 140 F-16 fighters. Photo: EPA-EFE

The Taiwanese Air forceâs pilot Chu Kuan-meng, was crashed in the sea with his F-5 off the coast of the eastern county of Taitung on a routine training mission on October 29th, 2020.

Pilot killed in Taiwan jet crash, all F-5E fighters grounded

A Taiwanese air force pilot has died after reporting a mechanical problem shortly after take-off on a training mission. Photo: CNA

Taiwan to phase out ageing F-5 fighter jets after pilot’s fatal crash

The Taiwanese military is to decommission its F-5 warplanes in 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

epa08501358 The newly built Indigenous Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) named 'Yung Yin' or 'Brave Eagle', takes off from the runway during its formal presentation in Taichung city, Taiwan, 22 June 2020. In 2017, the ATJ project was initiated, with the aim of replacing the military's old AT-3 trainer aircraft and F-5E/F lead-in fighter trainers. EPA-EFE/RITCHIE B. TONGO

Chinese military says Taiwan’s US$8 billion deal to buy US F-16 fighter jets is a waste of money because they will be ‘useless’ against the PLA

Taiwan’s air force has agreed a deal to buy 66 fighter jets from the US. Photo: Handout

News

China

Military


Controllers lost contact with warplane over the seas off the east coast of the island
Jet went missing hours after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen honoured a pilot who was killed in a crash last month



Jet went missing hours after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen honoured a pilot who was killed in a crash last month.


Tsai Ing-wen

Defence

Taiwan F-16 fighter thought to have crashed into sea two minutes after take-off

Controllers lost contact with warplane over the seas off the east coast of the island Jet went missing hours after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen honoured a pilot who was killed in a crash last month

Controllers lost contact with warplane over the seas off the east coast of the island

Jet went missing hours after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen honoured a pilot who was killed in a crash last month