Taiwanese authorities launched a search for an F-16V fighter pilot who abandoned the plane and parachuted into the eastern sea of the island.
Taiwan’s Air Self-Defense Force said an F-16V fighter took off from the Hualien base in the east of the island at 6:17 p.m. (5:17 p.m. Hanoi time) on January 6. The F-16V pilot is said to have parachuted more than an hour later in an area about 18 km east of Phong Tan town, Hualien district.
Taiwanese island authorities mobilized UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, transport aircraft and coast guard ships to join the search for the pilot, and asked fishing boats and cargo ships in the area to assist. It is unclear why the pilot decided to abandon the plane.
Taiwan Island and the Strait of the same name. Graphics: CSIS
The incident occurred while tensions had not cooled down in the region, related to the Japanese Prime Minister’s comments about the island of Taiwan in November 2025 and the Chinese military’s large-scale exercises around the island in December 2025.
China always considers Taiwan a province awaiting reunification and prioritizes the use of peaceful solutions, but warns that it can use military measures if necessary.
The F-16V is the most modern variant of the US-made F-16 fighter line, with a maximum speed of more than 2,400 km/h. Taiwan Defense has ordered 66 F-16Vs, and has completed upgrading 141 F-16 fighters to F-16V standards by 2023.
F-16V fighter at the base in Hualien district, Taiwan island in August 2022. Image: Reuters
The first accident involving Taiwan’s F-16V occurred in January 2022, when the fighter crashed into the eastern sea of the island during a training flight. The pilot died in this incident.