Taiwan has received the first two of 66 newly built F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered from the United States, beginning a long-delayed delivery programme aimed at strengthening the island’s air defence capabilities amid sustained Chinese military activity.
The aircraft landed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung on Friday after flying from the United States through Hawaii and Guam. Their arrival comes roughly three years after deliveries were originally expected to begin.
The two single-seat fighters are the first aircraft delivered under an approximately $8 billion procurement agreement approved by Washington in 2019. Taiwan’s Air Force has been waiting for the new jets as it continues to conduct frequent operations in response to Chinese aircraft and naval activity around the island.
The F-16V Block 70 is an advanced version of the F-16 family, equipped with modern avionics and an active electronically scanned array radar. The aircraft are intended to improve Taiwan’s ability to detect, track and respond to aerial threats.
Taiwan already operates a large F-16 fleet, including 139 older F-16A/B aircraft that have been upgraded to the F-16V configuration. The new-build Block 70 fighters will add to that force alongside Taiwan’s French-made Mirage 2000s and domestically produced F-CK-1 fighters.
The delivery programme has faced repeated delays. The aircraft were originally scheduled to begin arriving in 2023, but production and supply-chain difficulties, the relocation of the F-16 production line and software integration issues pushed the timetable back.
The first two aircraft had also remained in Hawaii for several weeks before continuing their journey to Taiwan. Taiwan’s defence authorities have not provided a detailed explanation for the prolonged delay.
Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo said additional aircraft are expected to arrive before the end of the year, although the precise schedule is being coordinated with the United States. The remaining aircraft are expected to be delivered in stages through 2028.
The new fighters are expected to join Taiwan’s 7th Tactical Fighter Wing at Chihhang Air Base, strengthening air-defence coverage on the island’s eastern side. Their deployment will also expand Taiwan’s fleet of aircraft equipped with the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar.
The Block 70 incorporates several upgrades over earlier F-16 variants, including a modernised cockpit, improved mission systems, enhanced structural life and an Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System. Its radar and avionics are designed to provide improved situational awareness and targeting capabilities.
The arrival comes as Taiwan continues to face pressure from China, which regards the island as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to assert control. Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels operate around Taiwan with increasing frequency, requiring the island’s armed forces to maintain a sustained readiness posture.
The F-16 programme also comes against a wider backdrop of uncertainty surrounding the pace of U.S. arms deliveries to Taiwan. Taipei has been seeking additional American weapons as it works to strengthen its ability to respond to a potential conflict.
For Taiwan, the arrival of the first two aircraft represents the start of a long-awaited expansion of its modern fighter inventory. The effectiveness of the programme will depend not only on completing deliveries but also on integrating the new aircraft into Taiwan’s wider air-defence network and sustaining the personnel, weapons and infrastructure needed to operate them.
The remaining 64 aircraft will therefore be closely watched as Taiwan moves to complete one of its largest recent fighter procurement programmes.
