Fri, Aug 11, 2023 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  MILITARY

  Warplane incident resolved

  An Indigenous Defense Fighter jet that appeared to malfunction in mid-air landed safely at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung yesterday, the air force said. Ground crew spotted the plane’s apparent malfunction and instructed the pilot to land immediately, the air force said in a statement. The incident happened during an aerial rehearsal ahead of an open day at the air base tomorrow, the air force said. The air force said that the incident was caused by a defective exhaust nozzle sleeve. A preliminary investigation indicated that the malfunctioning component allowed flames to shoot from the nozzle walls, it said. The engine remained intact and no foreign object or internal object damage was detected, it added. The jet is to undergo repairs, it said without elaborating.

  MILITARY

  Chinese craft detected

  Thirty-three Chinese warplanes were detected in the nation’s air defense identification zone in the 24 hours to 6am yesterday, including eight that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense said. Six J-10 and two J-16 fighters crossed the median line, while a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and a Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft flew close to the southwestern boundary of the zone before turning back, flight path information released by the ministry showed. In addition, six Chinese military vessels were detected in waters around Taiwan during the same 24-hour period, it said. The ministry deployed aircraft, ships and coastal missile systems in response to the situation, it said.

  MILITARY

  Live-fire drills unveiled

  The air force and navy are to jointly conduct annual live-fire exercises using air-to-air and anti-ship missiles in waters off the southeastern coast for three days from Tuesday next week, a military source said. Dubbed a “precision missile drill,” the testing is a major military exercise organized alternately by the air force and the navy every year to assess combat readiness, the source said. Air force fighters — Mirage-2000 5s, domestically made Indigenous Defense Fighters and F-16Vs — would fire “shoot and forget” AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air MICAs made by European missile maker MBDA, the source said. The navy would launch Taiwan-made Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles at four decommissioned vessels, including two Ching Chiang-class patrol vessels, and two rescue and salvage ships, the source said.

  ASTRONOMY

  Perseids to peak on Sunday

  The peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower is to occur on Sunday, with conditions to spot “shooting stars” expected to be the best for the past few years, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said on Wednesday. The meteor shower, famed for long-lasting streaks of light, is expected to provide views of up to 100 meteors per hour, the museum said. Due to a waning crescent moon, which will not rise until 3am on Monday, stargazing should be relatively easy, it said. The best Perseid performance on record was in 1993, when there were up to 300 meteors visible an hour, NASA said. The Perseids, considered one of the most spectacular meteor showers — along with the Quadrantids in January and the Geminids in December — are active from July 17 to Aug. 24 this year, the museum said. Clear skies are forecast in northern and eastern Taiwan over the weekend, while rain is likely elsewhere, the Central Weather Bureau said.
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