Taipei: Five American defense companies have expressed an interest in purchasing Taiwan's aging F-5s that were in service for half a century until late 2023, the Air Force confirmed Sunday. Air Force Command Headquarters said it will soon put the F-5s on sale through a public tender and transfer the jets to the winner of the tender based on the U.S. Security Assistance Management Manual. According to Focus Taiwan, the Air Force's confirmation came after it was learned that the five American companies were interested in purchasing the 40-plus F-5s that Taiwan possesses. These jets are deemed to be in good condition despite serving for nearly 50 years. The companies are reportedly hoping to sell the F-5s back to the U.S. Air Force and Navy to be used as enemy fighters in training programs. Taiwan's Air Force has around 50 F-5s, which have mostly served as trainer jets. All of them were retired from service in late 2023 and replaced by Taiwan's indigenous advanced jet trainers (AJT), also known as the Brave Ea gle. However, four of the F-5s, which have been converted into RF-5 reconnaissance jets, will remain operational until the military receives MS-110 pods, MQ-9B drones, and domestic drones in the coming years to enhance its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. These RF-5s are based in eastern Hualien Air Base and are primarily tasked with conducting reconnaissance missions alongside F-16Vs, as well as observing Chinese forces. They also play a role during natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods by gathering information on the scale of destruction. Washington approved the sale of six MS-110s to Taiwan in October 2020, but Taiwan's military has yet to receive them, with delivery expected to be completed in 2025. Additionally, Taiwan's military is scheduled to receive the first two MQ-9B "SkyGuardian" drones it purchased from the U.S. in 2026, with the other two expected in 2027.
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