After yearslong delay, Taiwan receives first pair of new F-16s

SINGAPORE – The first batch of Taiwan’s new-build Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighter jets have arrived on the island, the country’s military announced today.

Taiwan’s Military News Agency reported that the two jets arrived at Chihhang Airbase near the eastern city of Taitung on Friday. Photos published by the agency showed the two single-seat F-16s carrying the serial numbers 6727 and 6728 landing at the base. 

The jets are the first of 66 F-16 Block 70, which were ordered by Taiwan in 2019. The aircraft will join the Republic of China Air Force’s (ROCAF) 7th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Chihhang, replacing the F-5 Tiger II fighter aircraft retired by the unit in 2024. 

“The Air Force will proceed with the equipment acceptance and training as planned, and systematically advance various preparations to ensure the gradual formation of combat capability,” the report said. 

Lockheed Martin originally planned to deliver the new F-16s in 2023, but the timeline has slipped repeatedly. The company’s 2019 move of its F-16 production line from Fort Worth, Texas, to Greenville, South Carolina, caused delays as the new facility came online, while supply chain shortages in 2021 pushed deliveries back another year. Then in September 2026, the Block 70 jets were held during stopovers in Hawaii and Guam during delivery flights to Taiwan due to adverse weather.

Taiwan’s ROCAF already operates a fleet of approximately 140 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft acquired in the early 2000s that have been upgraded with the AN/APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and modern avionics. 

The 66 Block 70 aircraft ordered by Taiwan are equipped with the same radar, but can carrying conformal fuel tanks to extend their range. The jets are powered by the General Electric F110 engine instead of the Pratt and Whitney F100 engine fitted to its older aircraft.