Taiwan’s air force has received the first two of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets from the United States, with the aircraft landing at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung on Friday after years of delay. Built by Lockheed Martin and approved under a 2019 U.S. foreign military sale, the jets arrived via Hawaii and Guam and are expected to begin acceptance checks and training before entering service.
The delivery closes the first physical gap in a programme that was originally due to begin in 2023. Reuters reported the aircraft touched down at noon local time, while local coverage identified the first two jets as serial numbers 6727 and 6728. Taiwan’s defence minister Wellington Koo indicated that additional aircraft are expected later this year, although the precise year-end tally has not been set.
The order is valued at about US$8 billion and forms part of Taiwan’s effort to reinforce air defence as Chinese military activity around the island remains intense. The new fighters are expected to help the air force respond more effectively to regular PLA operations near Taiwan’s airspace, while the remaining aircraft continue through production and delivery in stages.