In response to the media report that "the Air Force was striving to replace ejection chairs last year and turned to the Ministry of National Defense for help but was denied due to funding,” the Ministry of National Defense refuted the report as it se

Press release of the Ministry of National Defense

Time: 1830 on March 25, 2021

In response to the media report that "the Air Force was striving to replace ejection chairs last year and turned to the Ministry of National Defense (MND) for help but was denied due to funding,” the MND refutes it today (25) as the content of the report seriously deviates from the facts and clarifies as follows:

1. The Air Force has immediately started the replacement of new ejection seats for F-5 aircraft after "Project 1029" was initiated in 2020. Afterwards, the MND received the report of the work plan from the Air Force in December 2020 and began to assist the Air Force in providing an additional work plan for the budget. Furthermore, the MND has also asked the Air Force to coordinate with the manufacturers to actively carry out follow-up changes for equipment and gear. When the MND was notified that the Air Force had obtained an official quotation, it immediately approved the budget requirements on March 19. Therefore, the media claim that "the Ministry of National Defense had first rejected the request from the Air Force until the plan was approved by March 19 this year" is untrue. As such, the MND hereby clarifies the truth.
2. The whole project is scheduled to run from 2021 to 2023 with NT$ 780 million, and the Air Force will be well supported with funding for the first installment with the annual budget for 2021, while subsequent appropriation has been prepared in line with the requirements of the annual budget.
3. The MDN urges the outside world not to spread false information to avoid misleading the society and affecting the morale of military servicemen.