Taiwan’s Air Force issued an apology on Tuesday, August 15, to the country’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) following an incident where one of its F-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped a bomb too close to a CGA vessel.
Reportedly, the fighter jet was engaged in a training exercise and significantly missed its intended target. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Tsao Chin-ping, revealed that the incident took place on August 9.
During the training session, the jet failed to hit its target at sea and inadvertently released a 2,000-pound MK-84 bomb near Pingtung’s Jioupeng military base.
Upon impact with the water, the bomb generated a substantial shockwave that affected a manned CGA vessel operating nearby. General Tsao informed the media that no casualties occurred, as the vessel was sailing several nautical miles away from the point of impact.
In response to the incident, the Air Force pledged to take severe action against both the pilot and instructor involved in the occurrence, attributing their actions to inadequate supervision during the bomb drop drill.
The incident came to light when several aggrieved CGA members took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the Air Force’s handling of the drill. Some members even reported seeking medical attention due to the shockwaves triggered by the bomb.
Further compounding the situation, it was revealed, and General Tsao confirmed to the media, that a US-manufactured MIM-104F (PAC-3) Patriot missile prematurely exploded during drills on the same day.
Local media reported that this marked the first occurrence of a US missile exploding prematurely before reaching its intended target. General Tsao stated that both the Air Force and the military’s research unit were investigating the factors leading to the premature explosion.
Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets, equipped with MK-84 bombs, frequently partake in military exercises simulating potential scenarios of a Chinese invasion.
The American Mk-84 general-purpose bomb, weighing 2,000 pounds, comprises a 1,000-pound steel casing and 946 pounds of Tritonal filler—a blend of aluminum and TNT. This composition imparts the Mk-84 with an explosive potency equivalent to nearly half a ton of TNT, accounting for Tritonal’s roughly 20 percent greater strength compared to TNT.
With a lethal radius, the Mk-84 bomb can cause fatalities within a distance of up to 1,181 feet, while its capacity to inflict severe injuries extends to distances of up to 2,624 feet.
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