Taiwan air force Mirage fighter lost, pilot ejects safely

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s air force said one of its French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets appears to have been lost off the island’s east coast, but the pilot has been rescued after parachuting to safety. The Air Force said Lieutenant Colonel Huang Chung-kai ejected at around 11:30 a.m. Monday after reporting mechanical trouble. Huang had taken off about one hour earlier from Taitung Air Base on a routine training mission. Taiwan’s air force has suffered from aging equipment and difficulties purchasing replacements amid Chinese efforts to isolate the island it considers its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. It operates 55 Mirage 2000s as well as  140 U.S. F-16s and 129 homemade IDF fighters.