The Air Force Command today said it has sent personnel to investigate why an Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jet fired off flares during routine training over Tainan Air Base yesterday.
The incident did not cause any injuries or damage, the air force said.
The flares, usually a defensive measure to protect jets against incoming guided missiles, were released in flight, sources said.
Photo: Su Fang-ho, Taipei Times
In recent years, there have been several safety incidents in the air force.
In August 2023, during a flight demonstration exercise, an IDF experienced strange flames in its nozzle.
At the time, the air force determined that normal engine flames escaped through a gap in the nozzle’s seals.
In September last year, a Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter jet crashed in a training exercise over waters off Hsinchu County.
More recently, in January, a master sergeant died after being sucked into an IDF jet engine, and the air force grounded all training jets in February after one aircraft crashed following double engine failure.
In addition to a landing accident in Penghu County, also involving an IDF jet, and an emergency ejection from a Mirage 2000 fighter in Taichung, there are reports that the air force has grounded all training flights for its main fleet while it investigates the cause of the incidents.
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