The first mass-produced Taiwanese advanced flight training jet T-5 took to the skies for the first time at Chin Chuan Kang Air Base. As reported by The central news agency of the island, in flight he was accompanied by a prototype. By 2026, Taiwan's military is going to receive 66 such aircraft.
Today, Taiwanese pilots are trained on AT-3 and F-5F aircraft. The former have been in service with the country since 1984, and the latter since 1972. The new T-5 training aircraft, the development of which began in 2017, should replace them.
The national corporation AIDC is engaged in the creation of the T-5. She took the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter as the basis for the development. This is a 14.5 meter long aircraft with a wingspan of about nine. Its maximum take-off weight is 9.5 tons. The F-CK-1 can reach speeds of up to 2.2 thousand kilometers per hour, and its flight range is 1.1 thousand kilometers.
Technical details about the T-5 are not disclosed. It is known that its airframe is largely made of composite materials, and the wings are optimized for slower and more stable low-altitude flight. The aircraft is equipped with an active phased array radar.
The first flight of the first production Taiwanese jet training aircraft T-5 took place on October 21. He was accompanied by one of two prototypes, flight tests of which AIDC conducted last year. By 2026, the Taiwanese military is going to receive 66 such aircraft.
It is difficult for Taiwan to buy military equipment and technology: other states do not want to spoil relations with Beijing and are afraid to sell them to the island. Therefore, he tries to update his weapons on his own. For example, last year Taiwan started building the first submarine of its own design.
Vasilisa Chernyavtseva
