First Two F-16V Fighter Jets En Route to Taiwan: Sources

Taipei: The first two of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets that Taiwan has procured from the United States have departed from the U.S. and are expected to arrive in Taiwan soon. The jets left on August 17, Eastern Time, marking a significant step in Taiwan's defense upgrades. According to Focus Taiwan, the two aircraft, identified by their serial numbers 6728 and 6727, will undergo in-air refueling and make a maintenance stop during their trans-Pacific journey. These measures are necessary to address the pilots' physical requirements and the aircraft's range limits. This acquisition is part of the "Peace Phoenix Soaring" project, under which Taiwan's Air Force allocated NT$247.2 billion between 2020 and 2026 to secure the 66 new F-16V Block 70 jets from the U.S. The delivery of the jets was initially slated for completion by the end of this year but faced delays due to the relocation and restart of the production line and supply chain disruptions. In response, Lockheed Martin has increased its production capac ity, operating two shifts and extending working hours to 20 hours a day to expedite the process. In a related development under the "Peace Phoenix Rising" project, Lockheed Martin, in collaboration with Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), upgraded all 140 of Taiwan's F-16A/B Block 20 jets to the F-16V configuration by December 2023. Back in 1997, when Taiwan's F-16 Block 20 jets were ferried from the U.S. to Taiwan, they required 19 air refuelings, approximately one per hour. The journey was split into three segments, starting from Fort Worth, Texas, to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, then to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, and finally to Chiayi Air Force Base in Taiwan. In contrast, the newly acquired Block 70 jets boast conformal fuel tanks that enhance their range and come with updated technical specifications compared to the Block 20 jets. Consequently, the exact number of refueling operations and the total flight time for these initial two aircraft remain to be determined.