A Republic of China Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter jet crashed at 8:35pm yesterday during a training exercise over waters off Hsinchu County, and pilot Hsieh Pei-hsun (謝沛勳), who successfully ejected, has been rescued, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) confirmed through a post on her Facebook page at 10:47pm that Hsieh was conscious and has been transferred to a hospital for further observations.
Military sources said Hsieh was located and brought onboard a Coast Guard Administration vessel at around 10:39pm. His life signs were stable.
Photo: Taipei Times
The French-built Mirage was conducting nighttime exercises when it suffered a suspected loss of power and the pilot then bailed out, the ministry said.
President William Lai (賴清德) this morning visited the pilot at Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, where he thanked the armed forces on behalf of the country.
Hsieh is doing well and is in stable condition, Lai said.
Wei Chih-wei (魏智偉), head of the hospital’s emergency room, said that Hsieh came in with contusions to his neck, back and hands due to his ejection into the sea, but no internal bleeding or obvious spinal injuries.
He is currently able to walk around and use the facilities on his own, Wei added.
Taiwan’s air force has suffered a series of crashes in recent years, including in 2022 when it grounded its Mirage fleet after one crashed into the sea off the east coast.
Taiwan received its first of 60 Mirage 2000 jets in 1997, although they have been upgraded several times since then.
At least seven have since been lost in accidents.
While Taiwan’s air force is well trained, it has been repeatedly scrambling to see off Chinese military aircraft flying near the nation in the past five years, although the accidents have not been linked in any way to these intercept activities.
The US-built F-16 jet is the mainstay of Taiwan’s air force.
Additional reporting by CNA and Reuters
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS