F-16V jets should arrive by end of year: ministry

DELAYS:
Taiwan has purchased arms from the US amid increased threat from China, but deliveries are behind as the US sends supplies to help Ukraine fight Russian forces

• By Ben Blanchard / Reuters

The Ministry of National Defense on Friday said it was aiming to have its first new F-16V jets delivered from the US by the end of this year, citing “acute fluctuations in the international situation” as the reason for the delay in receiving them.

The US in 2019 approved an US$8 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 jets to Taiwan, a deal that would increase the nation’s F-16 fleet to more than 200 jets, the largest in Asia, to strengthen its defense in the face of a stepped-up threat from China, which views Taiwan as its own territory.

The nation has been converting 141 F-16A/B jets into the F-16V type and has ordered 66 new F-16Vs, which have advanced avionics, weapons and radar systems, to improve its ability to take on the Chinese air force, including its J-20 stealth fighter.

Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times

However, Taiwan has said it experienced delays in the delivery of the new F-16Vs and problems such as software issues.

In an update on the deliveries, the ministry said the first batch of new F-16Vs was meant to have been sent in the third quarter of this year.

“Because of acute fluctuations in the international situation, which have resulted in a compound impact such as delays in the deliveries of some suppliers and adjustments to the US assembly schedule, there has been a partial adjustment in when they are to leave the factory,” it said in a statement.

The ministry said it would “strive to complete the shipment of the first aircraft in the fourth quarter.”

The air force would keep a close watch on the production schedule and make factory visits, to ensure the deliveries are completed by the end of 2026, it added.

Lockheed Martin told Reuters it was “grateful for the trust Taiwan has placed in us across its F-16 programs.”

“In partnership with the US government, Lockheed Martin is focused on developing F-16 capabilities,” the company added.

The US Department of State said long delivery dates were not a Taiwan-specific challenge.

“The US government is actively reviewing our policies and processes to ensure that we move arms sales cases as quickly as possible, particularly for Taiwan,” the department said in a statement.

Taiwan has reported delays with US weapons deliveries, such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles since 2022, as manufacturers send supplies to Ukraine to help it battle Russian forces, and the issue has concerned US lawmakers.

Taiwan’s air force is well-trained, but some of its fighter jets are aging, including its French-made fleet of Mirage 2000s first received in 1997. One crashed into the sea on Tuesday during a training exercise, although the pilot was rescued.

Taiwanese air force has repeatedly scrambled to see off Chinese military aircraft flying near the nation in the past five years.