TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from the Air Force’s 2nd Tactical Fighter Wing have been training throughout the Lunar New Year.

Based in Hsinchu, the wing’s ground crew practiced arming the jets with French-built MICA missiles through close coordination, Liberty Times reported. The maintenance team leader surnamed Chin (秦), pointed out that to support pilots in aerial combat, the maintenance crew prioritizes flight safety. They uphold the mentality of "continuous improvement" to ensure quality and work to safeguard air defense in the Taiwan Strait, he said.

Ground crew carry out maintenance, inspections, and tests on the fighter jets during peacetime to ensure the aircraft operate normally, per Military News Agency. During training exercises, they ensure the swift deployment of aircraft by practicing refueling and weapons arming drills.

Taiwan's military purchased spare engine parts in January for its fleet of Mirages for NT$10.2 billion (US$328 million) to bolster their combat readiness. Delivery of the parts will last from Jan. 2024 to Dec. 2028.

The Ministry of National Defense's European procurement office also finalized negotiations with the France-based missile manufacturer MBDA to purchase parts for its arsenal of French-built MICA and Magic missiles for a budget of NT$3.96 billion. The Taiwan government confirmed it will procure missile parts between January 2024 to the end of 2028 to maintain the air combat capabilities of the Mirages.

The military purchased 60 Mirages from France in 1992, with deliveries completed in 1997. Fifty-four of them remain in service.

The fighters possess excellent high-altitude interception capabilities, but procurement, operation, training, and maintenance costs are significantly higher than those of Taiwan's Indigenous Defense Fighters and F-16s.