President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday paid her respects to the victims of the Jan. 2 helicopter crash that killed eight military officers, including chief of the general staff general Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴).
At a ceremony at Songshan Air Force Base in Taipei, Tsai announced posthumous promotions for the eight officers, whose coffins were covered with the national flag.
“Thank you for your sacrifice, mission accomplished. The country will miss you and remember your contributions,” Tsai said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
She also announced that the government had approved three benefit packages for military personnel that Shen had pushed for: additional pay for paratroopers, higher bonuses for air force pilots and professional allowances for sergeants.
Tsai urged those in uniform to remember Shen’s patriotism and dedication to the job.
Shen, 62, was the highest-ranking military leader in Taiwan to die while conducting official duties since 1949.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
After the service, four Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets and three UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters flew over the base in a “missing person formation” — an aerial salute performed in memory of a fallen pilot or well-known military service member — accompanied by a 19-gun salute from the army.
The remains of Shen and the other officers are to be buried in Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery in New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止) after their bodies are cremated.
National flags on government buildings nationwide, including schools, flew at half-mast yesterday.
Photo: CNA
The service was attended by a delegation led by American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent Christensen.
Heads of missions and military attaches from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, and heads of representative offices in Taiwan from countries such as France, Japan, Singapore and South Korea were also present.
US Brigadier General Matthew Isler, director of regional affairs for the deputy under secretary of the US Air Force, joined the ceremony. His name was announced by the master of the ceremonies.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The delegation led by Christensen included members of the US armed services, who attended on behalf of the Americans fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with Shen and the other officers, AIT spokeswoman Amanda Mansour said when asked for comment.
The US selected a delegation appropriate to the unique and tragic nature of the crash, and the resulting loss of life, she added, without providing names.
Nicaraguan Ambassador to Taiwan William Tapia led Paraguayan, Guatemalan and Honduran ambassadors, as well as military officers, to pay their respects at the ceremony.
Photo: CNA
The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter went down in the mountains of Wulai District (烏來) in New Taipei City, killing eight of the 13 people on board.
Two data recorders were on Wednesday last week sent to Sikorsky — the US manufacturer of the helicopter — to determine the cause of the accident. Sikorsky’s findings are expected to be known in about four weeks.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source