An array of performances was held yesterday in front of the Presidential Office building in Taipei to mark the Republic of China’s (ROC) National Day, including the largest-ever ROC national flag flyby with two 18m wide and 12m long flags, each carried by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
National flags used in past Double Ten National Day flybys measured 12m by 8m, the military said.
A total of 48 military aircraft of 12 types took part in flights over the capital.
Photo: CNA
They included AH-64E, AH-1W and UH-60M helicopters, as well as F-16Vs, Mirage-2000s and domestically made Indigenous Defense Fighters, the military said.
On the ground, a parade to showcase the military’s capability to defend Taiwan was held — featuring the nation’s major missile systems, including domestically made Hsiung Feng III and Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles, as well as Tien Kung III surface-to-air missiles.
The most noteworthy weapon system on display was the land-based versions of the Tien Chien II surface-to-air missile, which was displayed in truck-mounted sealed container-launchers.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
For the parade’s grand finale, five jet trainers of the air force’s Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team released plumes of blue, red and white smoke, representing the colors of the national flag.
Many viewers noted that this year’s festivities also featured popular songs, in addition to the traditional military marches.
Golden Melody Award winners — including Your Legend (將軍令) by Mayday, Happy Ganjaman (快樂的甘蔗人) by Leo Wang (Leo王) and Thank You (感謝) by Abao (阿爆), winner of last year’s Song of the Year — were among the featured songs.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The organizers said that the more contemporary choice of music was intended to make the ceremony more lively and relatable, adding that all featured artists had given their consent.
The performances were followed by a street parade honoring the nation’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as COVID-19 responders and rescue teams.
Weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳), who won a gold medal and set three Olympic records at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, served as grand marshal, drawing a warm welcome from the crowd.
Photo: Bloomberg
The athletes were joined by their coaches, all of whom carried national flags.
The General Assembly of Chinese Culture, one of the organizers, said that the parade aimed to honor the nation’s unsung heroes, including healthcare workers, disaster response teams, police officers, military personnel and firefighters.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Photo: CNA
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS