Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) yesterday apologized to the family of the captain of a fishing boat who was killed after the navy fired a supersonic anti-ship missile by mistake and hit the vessel that was operating in waters off Penghu.
Feng traveled to Kaohsiung to offer the apology in person to the family of Huang Wen-chung (黃文忠) at their home.
He promised to help them receive state compensation and repair the damaged fishing boat, which was towed to Kaohsiung.
Photo: CNA
Accompanied by Navy Commander Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光), Feng also vowed to improve discipline in the military.
The locally developed Hsiung Feng III missile was accidentally launched from one of the navy’s 500-tonne Chinchiang-class corvettes at Zuoying Military Harbor in Kaohsiung during a drill at 8:15am on Friday and hit the fishing boat about two minutes later, the navy said.
The Ministry of National Defense said that the missile ripped through the Hsiang Li Sheng (翔利昇) fishing boat, causing the death of the captain and injuring three crew members on board.
The ministry has issued an apology and has said the incident was due to human error.
A petty officer on board the navy vessel did not follow standard operating procedure and launched the missile during a simulated attack, the ministry said.
The military did not provide immediate assistance after the missile was launched, the Huang family said, adding that the captain’s son, who was also a crew member on the boat, had to make an emergency call for help before the coast guard came to their rescue.
Feng said that the military took several response measures shortly after the incident, including sending military vessels to the area where the missile plunged into the water on a search-and-rescue mission.
The military’s efforts were supported by the coast guard, he added.
Despite repeated apologies from the minister, the Huang family did not accept the apology and have rejected the consolation money offered by Feng.
Speaking to the media outside the Huang residence, Feng said the ministry would have to reform to regain trust and respect, adding that it would not be a problem if he were asked to step down.
The fishing boat was about 40 nautical miles (74km) from the military harbor. A chart provided by the navy shows that the simulated position targeted by the missile was northwest of the harbor and southeast of Penghu, in the Taiwan Strait.
Additional reporting by Loa Iok-sin
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
RSS