(CNN) A F-16 fighter jet crashed in mountains near Taipei Monday after going missing during annual military drills that simulate a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

The wreckage of the military plane was discovered by a hiker, two hours after it disappeared from radar screens on the first day of the exercises, according to Taiwan's official news agency CNA.

The pilot, 31-year-old Maj. Wu Yen-ting, was killed in the crash, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said Monday.

Amphibious assault vehicles release smoke during last year's Han Kuang drills on May 25, 2017.

"The military is the guardian of the country and it is a high-risk career ... We will always remember your sacrifices. Your spirit will be with us. We will always be proud of you," a statement posted on Facebook said.

The five-day Han Kuang exercises simulate an imminent attack by Chinese military forces on Taiwan, a self-governed democracy which Beijing views as an integral part of its territory.

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