Air force conducts live-fire exercises before inaugurationAFP, TAIPEITaiwan’s air force conducted live-fire training exercises deploying fighter jets, missiles and laser-guided bombs, the Military News Agency said yesterday, releasing footage of the drills 10 days before the inauguration of a new president China calls a “dangerous separatist.”The May 20 inauguration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德) would be closely watched globally. The Ministry of National Defense-affiliated Military News Agency said yesterday that Taipei’s air force had conducted routine training exercises for its jet pilots “to enhance precision strike capabilities in aerial combat,” without specifying when. Footage released by the agency showed personnel loading the projectiles — which had “US Air Force” displayed on them — under the wings of the jets. A pilot then released the missiles from the fighter jet, and the video footage showed an explosion in the waters around Penghu. Thursday’s show of maritime force was “the fourth formation of Chinese coast guard ships sailing in Kinmen waters” in May, it said.
