A four-minute air show for the Double Ten National Day ceremony in Taipei yesterday marked the largest warplane fly-by ever staged in Taiwan.
The aerial show began with helicopters flying in formation, including three S-70C air force search-and-rescue helicopters, three S-70C navy marine-patrol helicopters, six OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, six UH-1H utility helicopters, six AH-1W attack helicopters and three CH-47SD medium transport helicopters.
Six low-velocity aircraft, comprising three BH-1900 and three C-130H transport planes, passed by the Presidential Office after the helicopters.
Photo: Lu Chun-wei, Taipei Times
Those were followed by two 15-strong formations of the nation’s most modern fighters — five F-16s, five Indigenous Defense Fighters and five Mirage 2000-5s.
The event ended with seven AT-3 jet trainers from the Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team flying in formation and emitting red, white and blue smoke trails.
A total of 71 aircraft were involved in the show.
Photo: CNA
The military aircraft entered Taipei airspace from the Tamsui River (淡水河) estuary and flew over Boai Special District (博愛特區), the country’s political nerve center.
A parachute-jumping display followed the fly-by.
Twelve members of the army’s Dragon Group jumped from a CH-47SD helicopter at an altitude of 1,524m northeast of the Presidential Office.
The crowd was enthralled as the paratroopers floated down from the sky and applause erupted when six of them landed on the Presidential Office plaza.
However, only five landed directly on target on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, while one member landed safely in a control area on Chongqing S Road. The remaining six landed in three separate parks near the Presidential Office.
Military spokesperson Colonel David Lo (羅紹和) said air turbulence had compromised a precision landing, adding that a parachutist had sustained a minor injury to a leg during landing.
This was the first time in years a skydiving show was held as part of the Double Ten National Day celebrations. In previous ceremonies, the event had been canceled because of poor weather.
A ground parade was also held, which involved PAC-3 missile batteries; Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile batteries; Tien Kung III air defense missile batteries; Ray Ting 2000 multiple-rocket launch systems; unmanned aerial vehicles; 11,356 liter water purifier vehicles; nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance vehicles; decontamination vehicles associated with chemical weapons activity; and various multifunction squad cars.
A total of 168 vehicles took part in the parade.
Additional reporting by CNA
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS