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Premier orders air force to speed up warplane overhaul
TRAGEDY:
A fighter jet crashed on Friday, killing four and prompting Su Tseng-chang's call for quick action on replacing old military equipment
AGENCIES, TAIPEI
Sunday, May 13, 2007, Page 2
Premier Su Tseng-chang (Ĭs©÷) yesterday ordered the air force to speed up an overhaul of warplanes a day after a fighter jet crashed, killing two Taiwanese airmen and two Singaporean soldiers who were in Taiwan for training.
The Taiwan-made F-5F fighter jet, which was built in the 1970s, crashed during a training flight on Friday in a rehearsal for this week's annual Han Kuang military exercise.
CHOPPER CRASH
It followed a Vietnam-era UH-1H army helicopter crash on April 3 in which killed eight soldiers lost their lives.
"We need to more actively push for the overhaul of warplanes and other equipment," Su said.
Su made the comments just before announcing he would resign from his post.
The cause of the F-5F crash is still being investigated.
The fighter crashed 30 minutes after taking off from an air base in Taitung County on Friday during a simulated ground attack, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Pilot Wei Tzu-yuan (ÃQ¤l²W) and co-pilot Chan Chia-chun (¸â¹Å¶v) apparently attempted to reduce damage on the ground by steering the plane away from a crowded industrial complex before crashing into a military compound where the Singaporeans were staying, it said.
ON THE GROUND
The Singaporean servicemen, who were participating in a training program in Taiwan, were not taking part in Friday's drill.
The deceased have been identified as Corporal Isz Sazli Bin Sapari, 19, and Private Fan Yao Jin, 23, Singapore's defense ministry said in a statement issued late on Friday.
Another two Singaporean servicemen were critically injured and are being treated at a hospital in Taipei for severe burns.
Taiwan has been training soldiers for Singapore for years despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.
JETS
F-5E and F-5F fighter jets were developed by the US in the 1960s and Taiwan produced about 300 of the jets in the 1970s using US technology.
About 90 are still in service in Taiwan.
The TVBS cable news channel quoted unidentified officials saying the soldiers would be flown home for further treatment on a chartered flight late yesterday.
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