TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The first mass-produced Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer will be officially handed over to the Air Force on Monday (Nov. 29).
The aircraft, built by Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, is scheduled to take off from Taichung’s Ching Chuan Kang Air Base at 9 a.m. and land at Taitung’s Chihhang Air Base at 10 a.m. The new jet will be given a water salute once it touches down, CNA cited a military official as saying.
According to a recent Ministry of National Defense (MND) report, the jet trainer completed its first flight last June and two planes will be completed by the end of next month. The report said eight jets will be delivered in 2022, 17 in 2023, 18 in 2024, 18 more in 2025, and three in 2026.
The Brave Eagle jets are expected to replace Taiwan’s aging F-5s. The MND previously said that a group of F-5E instructors has been stationed at Tainan Air Force Base since July 2020 to undergo training for the Brave Eagle jet.