Taiwan’s new indigenous advanced jet trainer, the Brave Eagle, made its inaugural flight on Monday.
President Tsai Ing-wen was present when it took off from Taichung’s Ching Chuan Kang Air Base at 9:20 am for a twelve-minute demonstration flight.
President Tsai said that the trainer completes an important step in Taiwan’s push to become more self-reliant in its defense needs. The jets can be made in Taiwan and maintained and upgraded at a low cost.
Su Tzu-yun, a fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, says that the Brave Eagle is one of the most advanced fifth-generation trainer aircraft in the world. That’s because of its advanced digital hardware and flight simulation software.
The Brave Eagle has a fully digitized cockpit, and its software is capable of simulating both the flight of an advanced jet trainer and a lead-in fighter trainer capable of firing missiles. Su says its technology enables it to calibrate training courses better and more precisely than China’s JL-10, JL-19, or JL-9G.
The Brave Eagle first came out in September 2019. Mass production is planned for March 2022. The military has set a target of having 66 units delivered by 2026 to replace the country's aging AT-3 and F-5 trainer aircraft.
The Brave Eagle is also expected to simplify the pilot training process and save on training costs.