Taiwan’s Air Force on Wednesday took delivery of the second indigenous advanced jet trainer (AJT) to roll off the production line of local aircraft maker Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), meeting a goal set by the government-funded company and the military.
The serial number 1102 AJT took off from central Taichung Air Base, where AIDC is located, together with an AJT prototype, piloted by AIDC Chairman Hu Kai-hung (???), at 9:20 a.m., according to a company press release.
The two aircraft were joined by the first AJT to roll off the production line, serial number 1101, off the coast of Taitung before the trio landed at eastern Taitung Air Base around 10 a.m., it said.
In an address to mark the occasion, Hu, a former Air Force pilot, said delivering the second AJT ensured the AIDC fulfilled its promise to deliver two models of the aircraft to the Air Force by the end of this year.
AIDC has also established an AJT maintenance team in Taitung to ensure the trainers continue to perform at the highest level, he added.
The No. 1101 AJT was delivered to the same base on Nov. 29.
According to a Ministry of Defense (MND) report delivered to the Legislature in September, AIDC plans to deliver a total of 66 AJTs to the Air Force by June 2026.
The AJT project was initiated in 2017 to replace the military’s decades-old AT-3 trainer aircraft and F-5E/F lead-in fighter trainers.
The development of the jet trainer, codenamed Yung-Ying or “Brave Eagle,” was carried out as part of the country’s efforts to become more militarily self-reliant.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel