First ten AT-5s operational at Taitung
Late December 2022, the tenth T-5 Yung Ying (Brave Eagle) advanced jet trainer (AJT) was delivered to the 7th Flight Training Wing (FTW) of the Chung-Hua Min Guo Kong Jun (RoCAF, Republic of China Air Force) at Taitung air base.
The aircraft, serial 1110/11-9012, was delivered on 20 December from the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) Shalu plant at Taichung/Cingcyuangang airport. AT-5s 1101 until 1110 are now based at Taitung. In November 2021, Scramble Magazine reported on the delivery of the first Brave Eagle.
A ceremonial flypast with two F-5s and one AT-5 over the presidential office back in October 2022, symbolised the winding down of the F-5E/F-5F lead-in fighter trainer at Taitung. Since then, F-5E/F sorties decreased dramatically.
In total, 66 AT-5s are expected to be delivered before the end of 2026 and will replace the F-5E/F with the 7th FTW at Taitung and the AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung with the Air Force Academy (AFA) at Gangshan air base. By the end of 2024, it is planned that 33 AT-5s should have been delivered to the 7th FTW and 12 AT-5s to the AFA.
The delivery schedule is reported as two aircraft in 2021, eight in 2022, seventeen in 2023, eighteen in 2024, eighteen more in 2025, and the last three in 2026.
Photo by Tsungfang Tsai