• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Air force jets conduct low approach drill on highway

ROC Central News Agency

2011/11/17 14:03:10

By Chen Pei-huang and Deborah Kuo

Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) Fighter jets and helicopters, including F-16, M-2000, IDF and E2-K models, completed low approach training maneuvers on a highway strip in southern Taiwan in drizzling rain Thursday without a hitch.

Beginning around 8 a.m. over the Jiadong Highway Strip in Pingtung County, each of the Air Force aircraft exercised the highly demanding skill at a height of 100 feet.

Thursday's drill marked the first time ever that an E-2K airborne early-warning aircraft, commissioned in 2009, took part in low flying training exercise. The E-2K aircraft can patrol for five hours at a time and detect ship or aircraft movement over a large area, thus significantly extending the advance warning time of any attack.

Due to the rain, which has lasted over the past three days, the air force decided to adjust instead of "cancel" other training exercises, including fueling and loading.

The jets' low approach drill was part of a joint combat training exercise that also involved the army's OH-58D scout helicopter, a CH-47 heavy-lift helicopter and two AH-1W attack helicopters.

While the OH-58D scout helicopter hovered on a reconnaissance mission, two AH-1Ws covered the CH-47D Chinook, a central element in the Gulf War, for a supply transport performance.

The maneuver won a big round of applause from the audience and bystanders after the CH-47D tilted to complete the exercise.

The drills were the first to be held on the highway that was built 24 years ago. The exercises were considered one of the most demanding to date, as they were being conducted on a forward highway surrounded by mountains and near the weather-beaten southernmost tip of Taiwan proper.

The aircraft drills were part of a five-day nationwide military exercise involving about 3,400 members of the three main branches of Taiwan's armed forces, code-named "Chang Ching 12," that started Monday and is scheduled to finish on Friday.

The army prepared the highway section a month ago, clearing potential obstacles from the surface of the road.