TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A Taiwanese fighter jet crashed during a nighttime training exercise on Tuesday but the pilot who ejected has been found safe, the defense ministry said.
The Mirage 2000 jet lost power at around 8 p.m., the ministry said. Rescuers found the pilot about two hours later.
Hsieh Pei-hsun was conscious and taken to a military hospital for an exam. He had been flying off the coast of Hsinchu, a city south of Taipei on the island’s west side.
Taiwan purchased Mirage 2000 jets from France during the 1990s and relies on them as well as U.S.-made F-16Vs for its air force.
The self-ruled Taiwan faces frequent military exercises near its waters by China, which claims the island as its territory and threatens to use military force to bring it under its control.
Source: post
