Taiwanese T-34 trainer jet crashes, killing two pilots; budget for aging fleet stalled

An air force T-34 primary trainer aircraft crashed at the Gangshan Air Force Academy base on Monday, killing two pilots, Lieutenant Colonels Lu Chi-yu and Kuo Chun-nan. The incident has reignited public attention on the maintenance of the air force's trainer aircraft.

The Ministry of National Defense allocated over 1 billion NT dollars for T-34C aircraft maintenance this year. However, the budget review process in the Legislative Yuan is ongoing, delaying the allocation. Legislator Ma Wen-chun, convener of the Foreign and National Defense Committee, stated that the budget for T-34C component procurement (approximately 610 million NT dollars) and related facility maintenance (approximately 440 million NT dollars) for fiscal year 2026 was not reduced by the legislature.

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The Legislative Yuan, under the premise of maintaining flight safety, did not cut a single cent from the relevant budgets.

Ma Wen-chun criticized what she called "political slogans by DPP cyber-armies" that falsely claim "Blue and White cut the budget," urging them not to confuse the public by politicizing flight safety issues. She pointed out that discussions about a successor to the T-34C have been ongoing for years. While the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology proposed a new primary trainer under a "nation-builds-nation-flies" model, similar to the Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer, these plans were shelved due to policy and budget considerations.

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Facing aging aircraft, simply extending their service life is never a long-term solution. The Air Force must propose a more proactive replacement schedule and concrete plan.

Currently, the Ministry of National Defense's strategy for the T-34C is to extend its service life until after 2033. Ma Wen-chun emphasized that simply extending the lifespan of aging aircraft is not a long-term solution, as demonstrated by the recent tragedy. She urged the air force to present a more proactive replacement schedule and concrete plan. Whether the new aircraft is domestically produced or purchased abroad, the procurement process should be expedited. She argued that if an overseas purchase can acquire new aircraft faster, reduce risks, and ensure flight safety, it should not be hindered by ideology or delays in the pursuit of domestic production.

The Kuomintang caucus issued a statement asserting that all committees are reviewing budgets according to procedure. They stressed the importance of careful scrutiny for every budget item related to national security, public welfare, and taxpayer money. They view oversight as their duty, not an obstacle, and will not rush approvals. The caucus stated they will not rubber-stamp budgets and will meticulously review every dollar, as entrusted by the people.

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Supervising the government is the duty of the Legislative Yuan, not an obstacle, nor a delay. We welcome the swift review of the budget, but we will not swallow it whole just to rush the process, nor will we give up oversight and simply stamp it through.