National Airborne Service Corps: 50% of Major Missions in 5 Years Were Rescues, Public Urged to Cherish Resources

(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-chen, Taipei, 1st) The Ministry of the Interior''s National Airborne Service Corps (NASC) has a heavy workload. According to statistics, in the past five years, the NASC''s five major missions involved 3,782 sorties, with aerial rescue accounting for the largest proportion at 49.0%, primarily focusing on maritime and mountain search and rescue. The Ministry of the Interior appeals to the public to cherish every rescue effort, as aerial rescue resources are a valuable national asset, ensuring that limited resources are used where they are most urgently needed. The Ministry of the Interior pointed out that the NASC is responsible for aerial disaster relief, rescue, medical transport, observation and reconnaissance, and transportation missions. In its 20 years of establishment, it has accumulated over 120,000 sorties, successfully rescuing 8,866 people, with an average of about 300 sorties per year. Among these, support for the Coast Guard Administration''s maritime rescues and the National Fire Agency''s mountain rescues are the most frequent. According to Ministry of the Interior statistics, from 2021 to 2025, the NASC''s five major missions—aerial disaster relief, rescue, medical transport, observation and reconnaissance, and transportation—totaled 3,782 sorties. Aerial rescue accounted for the largest share at 49.0%, mainly comprising maritime and mountain search and rescue. Aerial observation and reconnaissance ranked second at 19.9%, primarily involving marine (coastal) aerial reconnaissance and patrol, and aerial surveys for national land comprehensive planning. Aerial medical transport ranked third at 14.6%, mainly for medical referrals and emergency medical services. Last year, the five major missions, including aerial disaster relief, rescue, medical transport, observation and reconnaissance, and transportation, totaled 673 sorties, an overall increase of 12.4% compared to 2024. Aerial rescue also held the highest proportion at 46.4%. The Ministry of the Interior noted that the NASC has three operational brigades and seven subordinate operational teams (with two teams yet to be reactivated) stationed at five airports: Songshan, Hualien, Ching Chuan Kang, Kaohsiung, and Fengnian. They often perform aerial rescue missions in adverse weather conditions, difficult mountainous areas, or at sea. As of the end of March this year, they are equipped with 14 Black Hawk helicopters, 9 Dauphin helicopters, and 1 fixed-wing aircraft, performing various search and rescue missions according to different altitudes. The Ministry of the Interior stated that last year, the NASC rescued (protected) 371 people, transported 400 personnel, carried 34,118 kilograms of supplies, equipment, and fuel, and delivered 6 metric tons of firefighting water. Aerial rescue resources are a valuable national asset, and it is hoped that the public will cherish every rescue, every life-saving effort, and the personnel and equipment involved, allowing limited resources to be used where they are most urgently needed to maximize their emergency effectiveness.