Taiwan’s air force said Wednesday it had grounded its fleet of Mirage 2000 fighter jets for safety checks after one of the planes crashed into the sea the previous day during a night training flight.
On Tuesday evening, Captain Hsieh Pei-hsun was forced to eject from his single-seat Mirage 2000 fighter jet after the aircraft lost power, the Defense Ministry said.
The plane crashed into the sea while the pilot was rescued about two hours later and taken to a hospital in downtown Taichung on the island’s west coast.
Under President Lai Ching-te, elected in May, Taiwan has overhauled its armed forces training to include more nighttime exercises as the island faces increased military and political pressure from China, which claims the island of about 24 million people as part of its territory.
The Air Force chief of staff said that “a special inspection will be carried out for the entire fleet” of 60 Mirage 2000s, which will ground them.
“We have also immediately set up a task force to investigate the incident,” Lt. Gen. Wang Te-yang said at a news conference. He said the inspection would have “no impact on the air force’s combat capabilities in the short term.”
In 1992, Taiwan purchased its fleet of Mirage 2000s, manufactured by Dassault Aviation, from France as part of an arms deal that angered China.
French aircraft still form a vital part of the island’s ageing fleet, which also includes American F16 fighter jets and locally-made fighters.
– Chinese incursions –
In recent years, China has stepped up incursions of fighter jets and drones around Taiwan, actions that military experts call gray-zone tactics aimed at wearing down the island’s armed forces.
Thus, in 24 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday, 21 Chinese military aircraft, nine military ships and one official ship were detected around the island, the Ministry of Defense said.
President Lai visited Captain Hsieh Pei-hsun in hospital, saying the pilot’s condition was stable. “People should also know that to protect the country, the armed forces are training day and night,” he told reporters after his visit.
“I ask the people to fully support the army. In this way, the army will have more strength to protect the country. Only by defending the country can we have a stable society,” he insisted.
Beijing, which regards Mr Lai as a “dangerous separatist”, launched manoeuvres to simulate a blockade around Taiwan three days after he was sworn in as president.
China has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
dhc-jco/lpt
