Taipei. Sept. 6 (CNA) Hualien Air Force Base in eastern Taiwan, home to the Republic of China Air Force's cutting edge F-16 fighters, will hold an open house event later this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the ROC Air Force, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Wednesday.
The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 23, military spokesman Chen Chung-chi said at a news briefing.
Hualien Air Force Base is home to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, which is made up of F-16 jets and RF-5 reconnaissance aircraft. Its primary task in times of peace include photographic reconnaissance missions, as well as disaster relief work. The highlight of the event will be an air show, featuring fly-bys of ROC Air Force jet fighters, including foreign made F-16 fighters and Mirage 2000s, as well as the locally made Indigenous Defense Fighter.
The Air Force's Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team will also attend the event and the team's AT-3 jet trainers are expected to conduct a series of spectacular aerial stunts.
On the ground, different types of aircraft, ranging from fighters and transport planes, to long and short-range missiles deployed on fighter planes, will be exhibited.
The event is being held to belatedly celebrate Air Force Day, which falls on Aug. 14.
Air Force Day commemorates a famous air combat victory over the Japanese in Hangzhou, China, on Aug. 14, 1937.
During the battle, two out of a squadron of 18 Japanese bombers were shot down and four damaged by the ROC Air Force, which suffered no major casualties, according to the MND's website.
Visitors to the base will be required to show their identification documents to prove they are ROC citizens before being allowed to enter.
Foreign nationals who are spouses of ROC citizens must show their IDs and be accompanied by their Taiwanese husband or wife to enter the base. Foreign nationals wishing to attend the event are required to apply for permission to do so, though Chinese nationals and residents of Hong Kong and Macau are not permitted to attend.
The use of camera-equipped drones is prohibited during the opening house for national security reasons, the MND noted.
