The Taiwanese air force Pilot killed in a Jan. 21 F-16 crash near Luke AFB, Ariz., has been identified as 31-year-old Maj. Kao Ting-cheng, a student at Luke’s international training program who had clocked 865 flight hours. The American Institute in Taiwan, an organization that represents US interests in Taiwan, identified the pilot in a Jan. 23 post on its Facebook page, expressing “deep condolences to the family and friends” of the pilot. Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported Kao was a 2007 graduate of Taiwan’s Air Force Academy. The Taiwanese air force is sending three officials to the US to assist with the investigation. Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke, has convened a safety investigation board to determine the cause of the mishap, which occurred during basic fighter maneuver training near Bagdad, Ariz.
The advanced F-47 sixth-generation fighter remains on track to fly in the next two years, the senior Air Force acquisition officer overseeing the program said Feb. 25, as the service continues on its ambitious schedule to debut the air superiority-focused fighter by 2028—only three years after the contract was awarded…
