志翔科技有限公司
11/14/2020
Air Force chief Hsiung Hou-chi (熊厚基, left) / Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) Taiwan's Air Force conducted a test flight of one of its F-5 fighter jets on Saturday, after completing major checkups of its fleet, following a deadly crash more than two weeks ago, according to Taiwan's military news service.
The test flight took place at 8:50 a.m., involving an F-5F with the tail number 5261, and was co-piloted by Air Force chief Hsiung Hou-chi (熊厚基), a report from the Military News Agency (MNA) said.
The aircraft landed safely at Taitung's Zhi-Hang Air Base after the 40-minute flight, the report said.
"I took part in the test flight to show our countrymen that the F-5s are reliable and to demonstrate the will of our Air Force service members to defend our sky," Hsiung was quoted by the report as saying.
On Oct. 29, an F-5E, a single-seated variant of the F-5, crashed into the sea less than two minutes after taking off from Zhi-Hang Air Base, killing its pilot Chu Kuan-meng (朱冠甍).
The Air Force had since suspended the operation of all its F-5s for major inspections.
According to the MNA report, inspections of the engine system, emergency escape system, fuel system and electronic instruments, as well as corrosion protection, were performed on all F-5s.
The October crash has raised doubts about deploying the aged F-5s, the earliest batch of which was manufactured in 1973 with the help of U.S.-based Northrop Corporation.
However, the Air Force has emphasized several times that the usability of a plane depends on its condition and not its age, pointing out that 26 countries around the world are still employing F-5s.
"I believe the F-5s are safe to fly. That's why I was willing to join this test mission," Hsiung said, according to the MNA report.
Despite this, Taiwan's Defense Minister Yen De-fa (嚴德發) has said the Air Force will replace its F-5s with indigenous advanced jet trainers (AJT) within the next three years.
Meanwhile, the military's investigation on the crash is still ongoing partly because the wreckage of the ill-fated F-5E has yet to be recovered due to rough weather conditions, a military source told CNA.
Taiwan's Presidential Office has announced the posthumous promotion of Chu from captain to lieutenant colonel, effective Oct. 29.
(By Emerson Lim and Matt Yu)
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