Taiwan receives first F-16V fighter jets from US after years of delays

Taiwan has taken delivery of its first two F-16V fighter jets from the United States, marking the start of a long-delayed defence upgrade aimed at countering rising military pressure from China.

The brand-new Block 70 jets, built by Lockheed Martin, touched down at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung at noon local time on Friday. They flew to the island via Hawaii and Guam, according to Taiwan's air force, representing the first arrivals from an $8 billion order for 66 aircraft originally approved in 2019.

The delivery brings some relief to Taipei, which has been grappling with a massive backlog of US arms shipments. The F-16V deal alone makes up about a quarter of a broader $30 billion backlog of American weaponry, according to the Taiwan Security Monitor at George Mason University. Production glitches and software issues had repeatedly pushed back the delivery schedule.

More aircraft are expected soon. Taiwan's Defence Minister, Wellington Koo, said that further deliveries will arrive before the end of the year, eventually pushing the island's total F-16 fleet past 200. While Taiwan has already upgraded its older F-16A/B planes to the newer V-standard, these newly arrived jets are built from scratch with significantly stronger airframes and more advanced systems.

How the F-16V differs from older models

The newly built F-16V Block 70 "Viper" retains the classic silhouette of the older Fighting Falcon but is a much more capable machine underneath.

The most significant upgrade is its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the AN/APG-83. Lockheed Martin says the system shares technology with the advanced radars used in fifth-generation F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. It allows Taiwanese pilots to track and target threats at much longer distances, a critical capability as China frequently flies its own advanced J-20 stealth fighters near the island.

The jets also feature a modernised mission computer, upgraded high-resolution cockpit displays, and an automatic ground collision avoidance system designed to take control if a pilot loses consciousness. The new airframe is built to last 12,000 flight hours, which is 50 per cent longer than older F-16 models.

High tensions and stalled packages

The delivery arrives at a politically sensitive moment. It comes just a week after US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.

Beijing has long protested US arms sales to Taiwan, which it claims as Chinese territory, and has repeatedly demanded that Washington stop supplying weapons to the self-ruled island.

While the US State Department reiterated that Washington continues to "stand with friends and allies" in the region, there is growing anxiety in Taipei over future American support. Trump said in May, after meeting Xi in Beijing, that he was keeping a separate, proposed $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan "in abeyance".

The US did approve an $11 billion arms package in December 2025, but Washington has remained firm on its refusal to sell Taiwan its absolute top-tier stealth fighters, such as the F-35. Instead, Taiwan must rely on the highly upgraded F-16V as its frontline shield against daily Chinese air incursions.