11/30/2007. Remarks by Bernhard Klein: "In May 1982 the development of the Taiwanese Indigenous Defense Fighter was started by AIDC, though with assistance of General Dynamics, Garrett and General Electric. The first prototype (pictured) was rolled out December 10, 1988 and named "Ching Kuo" (in memory of former president Chiang Ching-Kuo) and subsequently designated F-CK-1, (F = Fighter, CK = Ching Kuo, 1 = first domestically developed fighter), while the first flight was made on May 28, 1989.

The aircraft carries also the Taiwanese FY s/n 77-8001, the first two digits, 77, is the year in which the aircraft was built, following the Taiwanese calendar (this makes it 1988 in the western or Gregorian calendar), the first digit of 8001 refers to the eighth type being built by AIDC, whereas the other three digits are sequence numbers."