President Tsai Ing-wen unveiled the prototype of Taiwan’s advanced jet trainer in Taichung on September 24.

Yung Ing prototype  (Picture source: UDN)

The "Yung Ing" ("Brave Eagle") 's maiden flight is scheduled for June 2020. The Brave Eagle is a twin-seater supersonic fighter similar to the IDF. It sports a smooth blue colour with white and red ribbon-like lines along the fuselage. The aircraft is mainly made of composite materials and runs on two F124-200TW engines.

The entire fleet is set to be completed by 2026. The majority of the training jet’s components were developed by the state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), and the aircraft was manufactured by the AIDC. The prototype will be put to the test next year, and the ultimate goal of the project is to produce 66 units by the summer of 2026 on a budget of NT$68.6 billion (US$2.3 billion).