In a rare occurrence, the Taiwanese Air Force has shared photos of its underground facility, housing some of the country’s high-performance fighter jets.
The photos show military personnel performing weapons loading operations inside the subterranean complex connected to Chiashan Air Force Base.
On July 26, Taiwan Air Force conducted weapons loading operations at Chiashan Air Force Base during 2nd day of Han Kuang Exercise.
This air base is known for its extensive underground hangars. And it is rare for the military to release photos showing the interior of the hangars. pic.twitter.com/UIBTv9H743
— Ryan Chan 陳家翹 (@ryankakiuchan) July 26, 2022
The Taiwanese soldiers, said to be under the 5th Tactical Composite Wing, were also seen demonstrating aircraft ammunition replenishment and preparing it for takeoff.
Although the social media post did not reveal the type of aircraft, it was clearly an F-16 Viper being armed.
According to the post, the operation took place on the second day of the annual Han Kuang Exercise, which will include a simulation of Chinese attacks on critical infrastructure in Taipei.
The photos showed an AGM-84L Harpoon anti-ship missile being loaded onto the F-16 Viper.
Developed by Boeing, the missile engages and neutralizes targets including coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile sites, and naval ports.
It has a maximum speed of 855 kilometers (531 miles) per hour and a range of up to 77 miles (123 kilometers).
In addition to the Harpoon, the AIM-120C advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs) were also seen being mounted onto the fighter’s wingtips.
The supersonic missiles can hit targets up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away.
The air-to-air tactical missile reportedly improves the aerial combat capabilities of the air force to meet current and future threats.
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