President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has thanked the National Air Service Corps (NASC) for their 20 years of service to Taiwan and commitment to disaster response and rescue operations. Lai attended the 20th anniversary event for the NASC in Taichung on Friday, where he also highlighted government plans to boost the NASC’s rescue capacity.
President Lai praised the NASC for its 30,000 sorties and over 8,000 rescues over the past two decades, dubbing them the nation’s “guardian angels.” He thanked the corps for their crucial role in rescue missions including the 2018 Hualien earthquake and this year’s Typhoon Krathon. Lai added that the corps establishment was a major milestone for Taiwan’s disaster response infrastructure, which now includes critical missions like disaster relief, medical transport, surveillance, and logistics.
Lai also announced a program to upgrade the NASC’s Dolphin helicopter fleet, set to begin next year, which will improve low and high-altitude rescue capabilities. He says the government is working to modernize NASC facilities with new bases already active in Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taitung. He adds that Taipei’s Songshan base is currently under renovation and expected to be completed by 2028, further boosting northern Taiwan's emergency response capacity.