The air force yesterday said it was investigating the accidental firing of a flare from one of its Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jets, also known as the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching Kuo, on Wednesday.
There were no injuries or damages, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident, the air force said.
The flares, usually used to protect jets against incoming guided missiles, were released in flight, sources said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Over the past few years, there have been several safety incidents in the air force.
In August 2023, during a flight demonstration exercise, strange flames emerged from an IDF jet’s nozzle. At the time, the air force said 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.
In January, a master sergeant died after being sucked into an IDF jet engine, and in February, one aircraft crashed due to double engine failure.
In addition to a landing accident involving an IDF jet in Penghu County 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.
In other news, the Ministry of National Defense yesterday said that a large number of Chinese military aircraft were detected near Taiwan on Wednesday during China’s “joint combat readiness patrol” drill.
Twenty of the 34 aircraft detected were taking part in the drill, which involved the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) air force and navy, the ministry said.
Sixteen of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, while 11 crossed its extension, it added.
The Chinese warplane activity was detected between 6am and 7:20pm, and eight Chinese military vessels and one other ship were detected in the 24-hour period starting at 6am, the ministry said.
The ministry said it has been closely monitoring the situation, and deployed combat air patrol aircraft and coastal missile systems in response to the threats.
The PLA has held 14 joint combat readiness patrol drills this year, including three last month, ministry data showed.
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