On Thursday last week, Black Hawk helicopter No. 933 of the Republic of China Air Force Air Rescue Group made a forced landing in the Tonghou Stream (桶後溪) ravine in New Taipei City’s Wulai District (烏來). The helicopter was carrying 13 military officers, eight of whom, including Chief of the General Staff General Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴), were killed in the crash, while five others sustained injuries, but were rescued.
The crash happened just nine days before tomorrow’s presidential and legislative elections, but in view of the tragic loss of life, election campaign events were partially suspended and President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) ordered flags to be flown at half-mast nationwide.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
There have been 25 military aircraft crashes in Taiwan over the past two decades. In the past 10 years, three Black Hawk helicopters, which are expensive aircraft, have crashed.
Two years ago, a Black Hawk crashed into the sea while transferring a patient from Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) for medical treatment, resulting in the deaths of six people.
AN UPHILL TASK
Restricted as it is by an ever-changing international situation, Taiwan faces great difficulties in buying weapons from abroad. Especially when it comes to precious armaments such as airplanes and submarines, trying to obtain them is an uphill task.
Taiwan faces troublesome conditions imposed by arms sellers, as well as a hostile state’s strenuous efforts to block arms sales.
The few military aircraft that Taiwan does possess are a precious resource, so when they crash it has a significant effect on their availability.
More important still is the difficulty of replacing lost personnel.
Electronic gadgets have done so much harm to young people’s eyesight that it is hard to find anyone who is not nearsighted and would be fit to be trained as a military pilot.
READINESS IS KEY
Military aircraft must be ready and available to take part in defense and rescue missions. However, their availability came under stress on New Year’s Day, when government activities were not just limited to flag-raising ceremonies and organized walks. The military was also called upon to cooperate with city and county governments’ efforts to boost tourism.
The air force dispatched warplanes including Indigenous Defense Fighters, Mirage 2000s and F-16s to fly in formation over Longpan Park (龍磐公園) in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春), the square in front of Hsinchu City Hall and Hualien City’s Pacific Park.
Taiwan faces a hostile state whose military might is growing ever stronger, and which frequently tries to intimidate Taiwan by crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and flying around the perimeter of the nation’s airspace.
In view of this threat, entertainment-oriented flyover missions should be kept to a minimum, so that the nation’s precious military aircraft would be available to perform their core duties.
This would ensure that Taiwan’s defense equipment remains in optimal condition, as planned, to prevent enemies from making irrational provocations and incursions whenever they feel like it.
Lai Ming-huang is an engineer with a doctorate from National Cheng Kung University and a former regional engineering department head of the Directorate-General of Highways.
Translated by Julian Clegg
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.