Taiwan suspends F-16 fleet combat training after jet crashes into sea

Taiwan's air force on Tuesday suspended combat training for its F-16 fleet after a recently upgraded model of the fighter jet crashed into the sea in the latest of a series of accidents.

The island's Defense Ministry said the F-16V, the most advanced type in Taiwan's fleet, went missing from radar screens after taking off from the Chiayi Air Base in southern Taiwan for a training mission over a coastal firing range.

President Tsai Ing-wen issued instructions to spare no efforts in the search and rescue mission and "to further clarify the cause of the accident," her spokesman said.