Recently, Taiwanese female F-16 fighter pilots openly appeared on the official website of the US military.
Moreover, this photo breaks the convention, the Taiwan pilot is wearing military uniforms and wearing military ranks, and the malicious intent of the US side to deliberately create "one China, one Taiwan" is very obvious.
In the past decade or so, with the introduction of the F-16 into the Taiwan Air Force, it is nothing new for Taiwanese pilots to go to the United States for training on a regular basis, but the US state media, including military websites, rarely expose Taiwanese pilots who come to study. So far, there are only a few photos of Taiwanese pilots receiving training.
However, in the group photo of the latest class graduation of the "International Flight Safety Officer Class" released by the US Air Force Flight Safety Center not long ago, Captain Chang Yongxuan, a female pilot of the Taiwan Air Force F-16 fighter, suddenly appeared.
It is worth noting that Captain Zhang Yongxuan was wearing a flight suit and hanging military rank when he took a group photo with students from other countries and American instructors, and did not use a low-key civilian clothes exposure method. In the past, Taiwanese pilots generally wore civilian clothes for public propaganda occasions.
According to reports, Captain Chang Yongxuan is currently serving in the 5th Combat Team of the 27th Wing of the Taiwan Air Force. She was born in Tainan and graduated from the 2019 class of the Taiwan Air Force Military Academy, where she reportedly finished second in the class. Prior to his trip to the United States for training, Captain Zhang had become a reserve member of the F-16 flight safety squad in November 2023, completed flight safety officer training on the island of Taiwan in March this year, and went to the United States in early May to participate in the "International Flight Safety Officer" course. Pilots from 16 countries are said to have participated in this training.
The U.S. Air Force Flight Safety Center is responsible for the operation of the "International Flight Safety Officer Class" (IFSO), which offers a total of 3 classes A, B, and C this year, while the pilot in Taiwan participates in Class B in 2024, which starts training on the 13th of last month and ends on the 21st of this month, with a total duration of 6 weeks.
(Taiwan IDF fighter female pilot)
Captain Zhang Yongxuan told the media that it was "a great honor" to be able to communicate with flight safety personnel from other countries. She is very interested in flight safety and crash prevention, and hopes that after returning to the Taiwan Air Force, she can "apply what she has learned" and devote herself to flight safety education, so as to contribute to various flight safety work.
Taiwan's Air Force Command has openly stated that Captain Chang is a pilot of Taiwan's F-16 fighter plane, and that after returning to Taiwan from training in the United States in the near future, he will conduct a tour of propaganda and education to expand the effect of this training and promote the flight safety work of relevant units.
The Taiwanese F-16V fighter is a modernized version of the F-16 family, developed by the American company Lockheed Martin. The main improvement of the F-16V is the integration of advanced AN/APG-83 radar, which significantly improves the detection range and multi-target tracking capability. In addition, the F-16V is equipped with advanced equipment such as a high-definition cockpit display, Link 16 data link, a new mission computer, AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and a Sniper target targeting pod.
The Taiwanese Air Force's F-16V Block 20 is an upgrade of the F-16A/B Block 20 fighter purchased in the 90s. These fighters have been modernized to adapt to current and future operational needs. In comparison, the more advanced F-16V Block 70 fighter is an improvement on the F-16E/F Block 60 model, representing a higher level of F-16V fighters.
Taiwan's F-16V fighter jets play an important role in enhancing joint operations and defensive air supremacy capabilities. They are not only capable of performing anti-ship missions and carrying AGM-84 "Whaling Fork" missiles, but are also key equipment for the defense of strategic waterways and strikes against targets at sea. At the same time, Taiwan's regional air force is also actively procuring new long-range reconnaissance pods to enhance the reconnaissance capabilities of the F-16 fleet.
However, this fighter does not have stealth capabilities and cannot be compared with the J-20. Even compared with J-10C, J-16 and other fighters of the same generation, this fighter has no advantages at all.