AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo

F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo
An ROCAF F-CK-1A on approach
General information
Type	Multirole fighter[1]
National origin	Republic of China
Manufacturer	Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation[2]
Status	In service
Primary user	Republic of China Air Force
Number built	137 (6 Prototypes and 131 serials)[3]
History
Manufactured	1990–2000 (A/B models)
Introduction date	1992[4][5]
First flight	May 28, 1989
Developed into	AIDC T-5

The AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo (Chinese: 經國號戰機; pinyin: Jīngguó Hào Zhànjī), commonly known as the Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), is a multirole combat aircraft named after Chiang Ching-kuo, the late President of the Republic of China. The aircraft made its first flight in 1989. It entered service with Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) in 1992.^[4] All 130 production aircraft were manufactured by 1999.^[6]

Taiwan initiated the IDF program when the United States refused to sell them F-20 Tigershark and F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters following diplomatic pressure from China. Taiwan therefore decided to develop an advanced indigenous jet fighter. The Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), based in Taichung, Taiwan, designed and built the IDF jet fighter.