The twin-seat Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) disappeared from military radar screens at 11:49 am (0349 GMT) some 20 minutes after it took off from the central Chingchuankang air base for a routine training flight.

Both airforce major Wang Tsu-hsiang and captain Sung Yao-tun ejected from the aircraft. Wang was unharmed while Sung suffered only minor injuries.

While the defence ministry said it was investigating the cause of the crash, local media cited a pilot as blaming mechanical failure.

The air force has been satisfied with the performance of its IDF fleet, which together with 150 US-made F-16s and 60 French-made Mirage 2000-5s have formed the core of the air force since the late 1990s.

Taiwan launched the IDF programme in 1983 with assistance from the United States after pressure from Beijing made it difficult for Taipei to acquire advanced combat aircraft from other countries.

The air force had ordered 250 IDFs but almost halved the order to 130.

Taiwan and China, split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, are still technically at war despite the commencement of civil contacts in the late 1980s.

SPACE.WIRE