The Ministry of National Defense yesterday denied a news report that a Taiwanese interceptor had flown dangerously close to a Chinese military plane during a recent monitoring mission.
A report in the China Times yesterday said that the P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft came within 300m of a Chinese military plane that had entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
Citing unnamed sources, the report said that the P-3C was taking photographs of the Chinese plane, but did not say when the event occurred.
Photo provided by the Ministry of National Defense
Sources cited in the report said that the pilot of the P-3C has a history of poor judgement and work relations, as evidenced by his harsh words toward his subordinates during a search and rescue mission on Nov. 21, and his demand that they fly much lower than the minimum safe altitude.
The ministry said that the report was inaccurate, as all the aerial maneuvers carried out by the pilot were in accordance with the military’s rules and regulations.
“Faced with a tough external situation, the best way we can build our combat capabilities is to conduct strict flight training in compliance with safety regulations,” the ministry said.
Retired air force lieutenant general Chang Yen-ting (張延廷) said that a distance of 167m between military aircraft is considered acceptable in terms of aviation safety.
However, for a slower aircraft like the P-3C, there is risk of a mid-air collision, because it is not as agile as a fighter jet and has a wider wing span, Chang said.
Furthermore, given the typically ineffective communication between Taiwanese and Chinese military aircraft, flying too close could lead to a misunderstanding and trigger unnecessary conflict, he said.
If Taiwan’s military aircraft wish to take photos of other planes, they do not have to fly that close, as their cameras have high-quality zoom lenses that can do the job well from a safe distance, Chang said.
Over the past few months, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has increased the frequency of its military maneuvers near Taiwan’s airspace, at times entering Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ, which has prompted the air force to scramble planes to intercept the intruders.
Last month alone, Taiwan reported about 40 PLA incursions in its ADIZ.
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