Eswatini's king tries a Black Hawk simulator as Lai shows him Taiwan's army helicopter school

President Lai Ching-te took King Mswati III of Eswatini to the Taiwan army's helicopter flight training base in Tainan on 11 October, where the monarch climbed into the cockpit of a UH-60M Black Hawk and tried his hand at a flight simulator, a day after attending Taiwan's National Day celebrations.

The two leaders toured the Army Aviation Flight Training Command at the Gueiren camp in Tainan, which trains helicopter pilots and aviation maintenance personnel for Taiwan's army, navy and air force and is regarded as the main school for the military's aviation talent, according to the China Times.

The king is on his 20th visit to Taiwan since taking the throne in 1986, invited by the government for the National Day festivities and a state visit as the two countries mark 58 years of diplomatic relations, Public Television Service and FTV News reported.

Apaches, Cobras and special forces on show

In the hangars, the army displayed the main aircraft types of its Aviation and Special Forces Command, including AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters, TTV News said. The visitors were also shown Cobra attack helicopters armed with Sidewinder missiles, Kiowa scout helicopters, training helicopters and transport helicopters, with briefings given in English.

The display also included special forces assault vehicles that can be driven into a transport aircraft and a six-member special forces team, according to the China Times.

The king and his queen both took turns in a training simulator before he sat in the cockpit of a real Black Hawk. Lai praised the king as a natural pilot who flew very steadily, presented him with a certificate and, according to FTV News, joked that he should not fly home early. Lai also gave him a commemorative coin and jacket from the training command.

A training link with Eswatini

Lai said the command had helped train 11 Eswatini aviators and maintenance officers in 2019 and 2020, in connection with the handover of UH-1H helicopters, and had sent instructors to Eswatini to pass on flying and maintenance experience. He thanked the personnel involved for contributing to relations between the two countries.

The president said he hoped the visit would help Taiwan's ally understand the island better and open the way for further cooperation, TTV News and the China Times reported.

Mswati III said he was impressed by how Taiwan uses helicopters in both military and rescue roles. Public Television Service reported that he told his hosts the world faces many challenges, thanked Taiwan's armed forces for sharing training knowledge with its ally and said he hoped that expertise would be passed on so both countries could cope with challenges such as natural disasters.

The king and his delegation left the camp by car after the visit, the China Times said.