Taiwan Gets Its First New F-16V Fighter Jets – Three Years Late

.

The first jets land in Taitung

Two single-seat F-16V Block 70 jets touched down at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung County around noon on Friday. They had flown from the United States via Hawaii and Guam.

President Lai Ching-te called the arrival an important step for Taiwan's air defense. He thanked the United States for its support.

Taiwan's air force will now begin acceptance checks and pilot conversion training. The new fighters are to enter service gradually.

A long wait

The United States approved the sale of 66 jets in 2019, during Donald Trump's first term. The deal is worth about $8 billion. It is meant to lift Taiwan's F-16 fleet to more than 200 aircraft.

Deliveries were originally expected to start in 2023 and finish this year. Technical problems, including software issues, pushed the schedule back. Aviation outlet FlightGlobal reports that the jets arrive about three years later than planned. It also notes they are the first new fighters to reach Taiwan since 1997.

Even the final stretch was slow. According to Taiwan's state-funded Central News Agency (CNA), the two jets were expected by the end of August. They instead stayed in Hawaii without public explanation while Trump prepared to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping. That meeting took place in Washington in late September.

What the F-16V can do

The "V" stands for "Viper", the latest version of the long-serving American fighter. The Block 70 model carries an advanced radar that can track many targets at once (known as an AESA radar). It also has upgraded electronics and a stronger airframe built for heavier weapons loads.

These upgrades are meant to help Taiwan counter China's air force, including its J-20 stealth fighters. Washington has so far declined to sell Taiwan top-tier jets such as the F-22 or F-35.

Pressure from Beijing

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims Taiwan as its own territory, although it has never governed the island. Taiwan's air force has to scramble jets almost daily to shadow Chinese military aircraft.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Beijing's aim of taking Taiwan by force has not changed. He said more F-16Vs will follow soon. Taiwanese media report he expects further deliveries before the end of the year.

Beijing has repeatedly demanded that Washington stop arming Taiwan. The Chinese foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the delivery. A US State Department spokesperson said Washington stands with partners across the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan.

The United States is bound by its own law to help Taiwan defend itself, even though the two have no formal diplomatic relations.

Questions about US arms support

The delivery comes amid some unease in Taipei. Some Taiwanese worry about how firmly the Trump administration will back arms sales, though Washington says its policy has not changed.

The record is mixed. Trump approved an $11 billion arms package in December 2025. In May, after meeting Xi in Beijing, he said he was holding back a further $14 billion package.

Reuters reports that US officials now consider a Chinese invasion before 2028 increasingly unlikely. Taiwan holds its next presidential election in early 2028.

Taiwan builds its own submarines

Taiwan is also building up its own defenses. It plans to build eventually eight domestically made submarines, with help from several countries, including the United States and Britain.

The first boat, the Narwhal, was due to be handed over in 2024 but has been delayed. Its builder, CSBC, says it is now in final testing. The company gave no delivery date.

Outlook

Two jets are only a beginning. Sixty-four more are still to come, and Taiwan's government says it wants the whole order by the end of 2026. Whether the schedule holds, and whether Washington approves further arms sales, will shape how well Taiwan can defend itself in the coming years.

.

Sources

1. Reuters – "Taiwan's first two F-16V fighter jets arrive to bolster defences against China": https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/taiwans-first-two-f-16v-fighter-jets-arrive-bolster-defences-against-china-2026-10-02/
2. Focus Taiwan (CNA) – "Taiwan receives first 2 F-16V Block 70s": https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202610020006
3. Focus Taiwan (CNA) – "A breakdown of Taiwan's F-16V purchase, as first two jets arrive": https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202610020008
4. Taipei Times – "Taiwan receives first two F-16V Block 70s from the US": https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/10/02/2003865285
5. FlightGlobal – "First F-16 Block 70 fighters land in Taiwan": https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/2026/10/first-f-16-block-70-fighters-land-in-taiwan/
6. Taiwan News – "Taiwan receives first 2 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets from US": https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6450771

.