India, Jan. 8 -- Taiwan has taken the rare step of grounding its entire F-16 fighter jet fleet after one of its warplanes and the pilot aboard went missing during a nighttime training exercise. The move comes as search teams continue to scan rough seas off the island's northeast coast, with no confirmed sign yet of the aircraft or the missing pilot.

The decision reflects growing concern within Taiwan's military as officials investigate what they described as an in-flight "anomaly" that may have caused the aircraft to plunge suddenly from the sky.

The incident occurred late Tuesday night when an American-made F-16 fighter jet from the Taiwan Air Force's Fifth Tactical Air Wing, based at Hualien Air Base, disappeared during a routine nigh...