TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation delivered the 42nd Brave Eagle trainer jet to the Air Force on Tuesday.

An AIDC test pilot flew the jet from Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung to Gangshan Air Base in Kaohsiung for the handover, CNA reported.

When asked if the Air Force will purchase an additional Brave Eagle to replace the one that crashed on Saturday, Chiang Yuan-chi (江元琦), director of the Air Force Headquarters planning division, said at a press conference Tuesday that retrieving the aircraft wreckage and investigating the cause of the incident is the priority. 

AIDC is producing 66 Brave Eagles for the Air Force. The delivery schedule was originally as follows: Two aircraft in 2021, eight in 2022, 17 in 2023, 18 in 2024, 18 in 2025, and three in 2026. 

Due to the impact of the pandemic on the aerospace supply chain, only 11 aircraft were delivered in 2024. 

The Brave Eagle will gradually replace the current trainer fleet, with more advanced avionics and two F124 turbofan engines. It can assume a light attack role during wartime and conduct ground attack missions.