The single-seat aircraft took off at 6:17 pm local time (1017 GMT) from Hualien Air Base in eastern Taiwan, the Air Force said in a statement. "At 7:29 pm, the pilot was suspected to have ejected about 10 nautical miles east of Fengbin Township in Hualien County," the statement said. "The Air Force immediately established an emergency response centre and launched a search operation." Premier Cho Jung-tai has called for Taiwan's coastguard and nearby fishing vessels to assist in the search and rescue efforts, Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee said in a statement. Taiwan has ordered 66 US F-16V -- a fourth-generation multi-role fighter -- that is a significantly upgraded version of Taiwan's ageing F-16 A/B jets.

Taiwan completed upgrades of 141 older F-16s to the V standard in late 2023. The aircraft were due to be delivered in 2026 but Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo said recently that would be "challenging". Taiwan's military is under pressure from China, which claims the democratic island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it. China has in recent years ramped up incursions by fighter jets and warships around the island -- actions that military experts dub as grey-zone tactics that serve to exhaust the island's armed forces. (Bssnews)