Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. has delivered the final two T-5 Brave Eagle advanced jet trainers to the Republic of China Air Force, completing production of the full 66-aircraft programme. The last aircraft, serial numbers 1165 and 1166, flew from Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung to the Air Force Academy in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District on Thursday, with AIDC chairman Tsao Chin-pin piloting one of the jets.
The delivery closes a nine-year indigenous trainer programme that began in 2017 and produced Taiwan’s first domestically designed and mass-produced advanced jet trainer. Before landing, the aircraft made a low pass over AIDC’s Shalu plant, where employees watched the final handover flight.
Fifty-six Brave Eagles had already been delivered by May, leaving the final batch to complete the run. The air force now has 65 aircraft in service after one Brave Eagle crashed off Taiwan’s east coast in February 2025; the pilot ejected safely.