After decades of service, Taiwan retires its last F-5 fighter jets
To keep pace with increased threats from mainland China, Taiwan has been upgrading both its manned and unmanned aerial assets, including purchasing 66 of the latest generation F-16V fighters and upgrading existing aircraft to modern specifications.
China claims the island as its own territory and has never dropped its threat to invade since the sides split amid civil war in 1949.
The air force invited journalists on Friday (Jul 4) to witness one last flyby by the F-5, which first entered service with Taiwan in 1965 and most of which have now been converted to trainers, reconnaissance planes or decoys.
The planes began moving into a backing role 30 years ago when Taiwan began acquiring more modern American F-16s, French Mirage 2000s and domestically developed Ching Kuos.
The F-5 is one of the world's most widely produced jets, with Taiwan the largest operator at one point with 336, producing some 100 domestically. Dozens of countries still use them, including the US, which uses them as pretend opponents in training exercises.
The planes gained favour for their high speed and manoeuverability, alongside their low cost and ease of maintenance. For Taiwan, they guarded the skies above the Taiwan Strait against mainland China's Soviet and domestically built fighters.
Taiwan's F-5s were based along the eastern coast, separated from China by both the 160km wide Taiwan Strait and Taiwan's formidable Central Mountain Range.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
US tariffs to kick in Aug 1 barring trade deals: Treasury Secretary
WASHINGTON: US tariffs will kick in on Aug 1 if trading partners from Taiwan to the European Union do not strike deals with Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday (Jul 6). The rates will "boomerang back" to the sometimes very high levels which President Donald Trump had announced on April 2 - before he suspended the levies to allow for trade talks and set a July 9 deadline for agreement, Bessent told CNN. Bessent confirmed comments by Trump to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday in which he also cited a new deadline: "Well, I'll probably start them on August 1. Well, that's pretty early. Right?" The president said he had signed 12 letters to be sent out, likely on Monday. The tariffs were part of a broader announcement in April where Trump imposed a 10 per cent duty on goods from almost all trading partners, with a plan to step up these rates for a select group within days. But he swiftly paused the hikes until July 9, allowing for trade talks to take place. Countries have been pushing to strike deals that would help them avoid these elevated duties. So far, the Trump administration has unveiled deals with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, while Washington and Beijing agreed to temporarily lower staggeringly high levies on each other's products. Bessent said the administration was "close to several deals". "I would expect to see several big announcements over the next couple of days," he said. But he would not say which countries he was referring to, adding: "I don't want to let them off the hook." As his July 9 deadline approaches, Trump has repeatedly said he plans to inform countries of US tariff rates by sending them letters. Aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said sending notices would be much easier than "sitting down and working 15 different things ... this is what you have to pay, if you want to do business (with) the United States." Bessent pushed back at CNN host Dana Bash's assertion the administration was using threats rather than negotiations, and denied that Trump was setting a new deadline with the Aug 1 date. "It's not a new deadline. We are saying, this is when it's happening. If you want to speed things up, have at it. If you want to go back to the old rate, that's your choice," he said. He said the playbook was to apply "maximum pressure" and cited the European Union as an example, saying they are "making very good progress" after a slow start. EU and US negotiators are holding talks over the weekend, and France's finance minister said on Saturday he hoped they could strike a deal this weekend. Other countries were still expressing unease, however. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Sunday he "won't easily compromise" in trade talks with Washington.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Pandas on Japanese lawmakers' wish list as China's vice-premier plans visit to Osaka World Expo
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Four pandas had been returned to China from Japan in June. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng plans to visit Japan for a World Exposition event in Osaka on July 11 , with Japanese lawmakers looking to request a new lease of giant pandas to promote bilateral ties, diplomatic sources said on J uly 6 . July 11 marks China's national day at the expo. During Mr He's stay in Japan, he is expected to meet with Mr Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who leads a cross-party group of China-friendly Japanese lawmakers. Mr Moriyama, a close aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, is also likely to call for the resumption of China's imports of Japanese beef, which have been suspended since 2001 due to an outbreak of mad cow disease. In contrast, China in June lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports . The restriction was imposed in August 2023 after Japan began releasing treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Mr Moriyama's request for the panda lease would come as the return of four pandas to China from Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, in June left only two in the country – a pair displayed at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo whose lease contract will expire in Februar y 2026 . KYODO NEWS
Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business Times
China retaliates to EU ban with import restrictions on medical devices
[HONG KONG] China's finance ministry said on Sunday (Jul 6) it was restricting government purchases of medical devices from the European Union that exceed 45 million yuan (S$8 million) in value, in retaliation to Brussels' own curbs last month. Tensions between Beijing and Brussels have been rising, with the European Union imposing tariffs on China-built electric vehicles and Beijing slapping duties on imported brandy from the bloc. The European Union said last month it was barring Chinese companies from participating in EU public tenders for medical devices worth 60 billion euros (S$90 billion) or more per year after concluding that EU firms were not given fair access in China. The measure announced by the European Commission was the first under the EU's International Procurement Instrument, which entered into force in 2022 and is designed to ensure reciprocal market access. China's countermeasures were expected after its commerce ministry flagged 'necessary steps' against the EU move late last month. 'Regrettably, despite China's goodwill and sincerity, the EU has insisted on going its own way, taking restrictive measures and building new protectionist barriers,' the commerce ministry said in a separate statement on Sunday. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'Therefore, China has no choice but to adopt reciprocal restrictive measures.' The EU delegation office in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China will also restrict imports of medical devices from other countries that contain EU-made components worth more than 50 per cent of the contract value, the finance ministry said. The measures come into force on Sunday. The commerce ministry said products from European companies in China were not affected. The world's second- and third-largest economies are due to hold a leaders' summit in China later in July. On Friday, China also announced duties of up to 34.9 per cent for five years on brandy originating in the European Union, most of it cognac from France, after concluding an investigation largely believed to be a response to Europe's EV tariffs. Major cognac producers Pernod Ricard, LVMH and Remy Cointreau were spared from the levies, however, provided they sell at a minimum price, which China has not disclosed. REUTERS
