Taiwan’s Revolutionary New Brave Eagle Fighter Conducts First Flight

Following it’s unveiling in September 2019, Taiwan’s Brave Eagle twin engine light fighter conducted its first flight on June 10th from Ching Chuan Kang Airbase near the city of Taichung. The fighter was developed under a joint program between the state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, the Republic of China Air Force, and Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC). The Brave Eagle is heavily based on the F-CK Ching Kuo fighter which entered service in the early 1990s, but benefits from a range of new technologies which provide it with ‘4+ generation’ capabilities. The fighter is larger than its predecessor, integrates more powerful engines, and makes greater use of new composite materials for a lighter and more durable airframe. It is thought to have a lower operational cost. The aircraft benefits from integration of new avionics and electronic warfare systems, as well as a domestically developed AESA radar.

While officially designated a trainer, the Brave Eagle’s combat capabilities surpass those of all Taiwan’s existing frontline fighter jets with the exception of the F-16V, and it may eventually replace the Ching Kuo in a frontline role. A ranking of trainer jets by their combat capability earlier in the year saw the Brave Eagle comfortably win first place, and the design is very much a fighter first and a trainer second. The Brave Eagle will be compatible with all of the Ching Kuo’s munition types including its radar evading Wan Chien cruise missiles and its Sky Sword II active radar guided air to air missiles. The latter are prized for their long range and very high Mach 5 speed. Investment in the Brave Eagle program comes amid a broader effort by Taiwan to modernise its military capabilities, with over $10 billion worth of arms contracts from Western powers having been signed over the past 18 months alone. While the cost effectiveness of many of its purchases from Western countries has been seriously questioned, the Brave Eagle program is thought to provide a highly cost effective means of modernising Taiwan's aerial warfare capabilities while at the same time strengthening the domestic defence sector.