Taiwan Receives Three More F-16V Block 70 Fighter Jets From US

Taiwan has taken delivery of three additional new-build Lockheed Martin F-16V Block 70 fighter aircraft purchased from the United States, marking the arrival of the second operational delivery batch under the island's comprehensive fighter fleet modernization program. The arrival expands the standing fleet of newly delivered Block 70 airframes to five units as military authorities work to reinforce tactical air defense readiness across the Taiwan Strait.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense and Air Force Command Headquarters, the three single-seat multirole fighters touched down safely following a long-distance ferry flight across the Pacific Ocean. The arrival follows the handover of the initial two aircraft delivered in early autumn, marking steady progress on one of Washington's largest foreign military sales packages in East Asia.

Arrival at Chihhang Air Base

The three aircraft, bearing military serial numbers 6729, 6731, and 6732, touched down at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung County, southeastern Taiwan, at approximately 11:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The flight marked the completion of an extensive transoceanic routing originating from Lockheed Martin's production and final assembly facility in Greenville, South Carolina, with staging stops in Texas and Hawaii.

Upon landing, the lead aircraft, serial number 6732, displayed the Republic of China flag in the cockpit canopy as it taxied to the dispersal area. The pilot of the final aircraft in the flight, tail number 6731, greeted ground crews and assembled military personnel with a hand signal representing the number "21", representing the 21st Fighter Squadron. Official sources identified the aviator as Chiang Hui-yu, a 2014 graduate of the Air Force Academy and one of Taiwan's pioneering female F-16 fighter pilots.

The Peace Phoenix Soaring Program

The three newly arrived aircraft form part of a broader order for 66 advanced F-16V Block 70 fighters procured through the United States government under the bilateral Peace Phoenix Soaring defense initiative. The United States State Department and Defense Security Cooperation Agency formally approved the foreign military sale in August 2019, valuing the total package, including mission systems, weapon integration, and spare components, at approximately $8 billion.

To fund the historic procurement, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan approved a special defense appropriation of NT$247.23 billion (equivalent to approximately $7.7 billion) running from fiscal years 2020 through 2026. The first batch of two airframes, bearing serial numbers 6727 and 6728, touched down at Taitung on October 2, 2026. With the three airframes arriving on November 8, Taiwan has now taken delivery of five Block 70 airframes from the manufacturer.

Overcoming Production Hurdles and Delays

Under the original procurement schedule established in 2019, deliveries were anticipated to begin in 2023 and conclude by the end of 2026. However, unforeseen manufacturing adjustments, the establishment of the new assembly line in Greenville, and complex avionics software calibration requirements contributed to consecutive delivery delays.

Addressing parliamentary defense inquiries earlier this year, Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Defense Hsu Szu-chien confirmed that specialized configuration requirements for Taiwanese operational environments required supplementary flight envelope validation and software integration testing. Defense officials noted that Lockheed Martin had progressed assembly and structural outfitting on 59 of the 66 ordered airframes, maintaining active procurement of necessary subsystems and propulsion hardware.

Operational Integration and the 7th Tactical Fighter Wing

Air Force Command Headquarters confirmed that ground personnel and pilots will now commence rigorous operational familiarization and systems integration sorties to progress the airframes toward initial operational capability (IOC). The new fighters incorporate Northrop Grumman APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) active electronically scanned array (AESA) systems, upgraded mission computers, modern cockpit displays, and conformal fuel carriage compatibility.

To operate and maintain the expanded fleet, the Republic of China Air Force formally commissioned the 7th Tactical Fighter Wing at Chihhang Air Base on December 1, 2023. Technical specialists and senior instructor pilots completed specialized instructional pipelines in the United States, establishing the institutional foundation to absorb incoming aircraft batches and integrate them alongside existing modernized F-16V fleets.