Taiwan Grounds Mirage Fighter Jet Fleet After Crash at Sea – Reuters

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s air force announced on Wednesday that it has grounded its fleet of French-made Mirage fighter jets for maintenance checks following a crash off the northwest coast of the island. Fortunately, the pilot was rescued.

The aircraft was performing nighttime exercises late on Tuesday after departing from the Hsinchu air base when it experienced a loss of engine power, prompting the pilot to eject. Rescue teams later located the pilot and transported him to the hospital.

In light of the incident, the air force stated that the Mirage fleet is now undergoing inspections, and they will ensure that there is sufficient coverage from other aircraft to compensate for those temporarily out of service.

The mainstay of Taiwan’s air force is the U.S.-built F-16 fighter jet. Taiwan received its first batch of 60 Mirage 2000 jets in 1997, with several upgrades implemented since then. However, the fleet has seen at least seven aircraft lost in accidents.

Taiwan’s air force has faced a string of crashes in recent years, including an incident in 2022 when it grounded its Mirage planes after one went down into the sea off the east coast.

Despite being well-trained, Taiwan’s air force has frequently been on high alert due to Chinese military aircraft operating near the island over the past five years; however, no connection has been established between these operational activities and the recent accidents.