Chiayi, Taiwan, Aug 6 (EFE).— The Taiwanese air force showcased its main combat fighters, including the American F-16, on Tuesday as a prelude to an air show aimed at «increasing public understanding» of defense matters.
Hundreds of citizens gathered at the Chiayi air base in southern Taiwan to watch rehearsals for Saturday’s event, which is expected to draw over 10,000 spectators.
In addition to the F-16, the Taiwanese Air Force deployed the Mirage-2000 and the indigenously produced IDF fighters, alongside AT-3 and AJT training aircraft.
The display also featured transport aircraft, combat helicopters, and armoured vehicles such as the M60A3 tank, provided by the United States.
During the two-hour rehearsal, pilots performed various acrobatics and maneuvers, entertaining the audience, who took photographs with air force personnel.
The show over the weekend will be the first and only open-door event organized by the Taiwanese Armed Forces in 2024. Traditionally, Taiwan holds several such events annually, but the growing threat from China has necessitated limiting their number.
The Taiwanese government’s intention is for the exhibition to «increase understanding among civilians about the nation’s armed forces and show support for the military in their efforts to protect the country,» Major General Yang Chuan-wen said last week.
Exhibition Amid Chinese Threat In recent years, Taiwan’s armed forces have faced constant harassment from China, which considers Taiwan, governed autonomously since 1949, as a «rogue province.»
This pressure campaign has intensified after William Lai became Taiwanese president on May 20.
Since then, Taiwan has detected more than 1,350 Chinese military aircraft operating around the island, with 976 crossing the Taiwan Strait’s dividing line or entering Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
President Lai has repeatedly offered dialogue to China, asserting that the two neighbors «are not subordinate to each other,» an approach Beijing has flatly rejected, insisting that «reunification» is an «unstoppable historical trend.» EFE
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