A Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000-5 warplane take off from the Dr Sun Yat-Sen freeway in Chiayi County.
Taiwan yesterday displayed how its fighter jets and early warning aircraft could land, refuel and take off on a closed motorway, in a scenario simulating a Chinese attack that wiped out the island’s air force bases. The exercise - the first of its kind since 2011 - was a reminder of lingering Chinese hostilities towards the island despite warming ties between the two rivals. Three jet fighters - an F-16, a Mirage 2000-5 and a home-made Indigenous Defence Fighter - practised landing on a freeway in southern Chiayi County, where they refuelled and loaded missiles and other ammunition before taking off again.
