Monday’s Mirage 2000 crash was not due to a spare parts shortage, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday, adding that the military was considering upgrading or replacing the aging French-made jets that have been in service for 25 years in Taiwan.
“The air force’s Mirage 2000 fleet has met the required availability rate and therefore I can assure you that it [the crash] had nothing to do with a shortage of spare parts,” Chiu told reporters on the sidelines of a legislative session.
However, Chiu refused to make public the armed forces’ required “availability” or “mission capable” rate for
PRIORITIZING SAFETY: The military is considering upgrading or replacing its Mirage 2000-5s, which have been in service since 1997, Chiu Kuo-cheng said/ Staff writer, with CNA
SAFE AND SOUND: Lieutenant Colonel Huang Chung-kai, 38, ejected from the Mirage 2000-5 when he noticed a lack of power and landed in the ocean before being rescued/ Staff writer, with CNA
Initial indications are that a mechanical malfunction likely caused a Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet to crash off the coast of southeastern Taiwan yesterday, the air force said, as the search for the jet continued.
Based on information from the pilot, who ejected to safety, the jet’s engine was not generating enough power to operate the aircraft safely, air force Chief Inspector Major General Liu Hui-chien (柳惠千) told a news conference.
However, exactly what caused the problem cannot be determined until after the jet’s wreckage has been recovered, Liu said.
Lieutenant Colonel Huang Chung-kai (黃重凱), 38, ejected from the aircraft when he noticed the