The United States is looking for ways to speed up the delivery of new F-16 fighter jets to bolster Taiwan’s air force.
US officials said this would be important to allow Taiwan to respond to what Washington and Taipei see as growing intimidation of the Chinese military. However, the correct way to speed up delivery of Block 70 F-16s, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and equipped with new capabilities, has not yet been found to be the correct date, 2026 being the target date.
The Block 70 is the latest F-16 configuration, with new avionics, a modern cockpit and improved engine, incredible maneuverability and is excellent in air combat and air-to-ground attack.
The Taiwanese government has privately expressed the US government’s desire to speed up shipments as it plans to build one of the largest fleets of F-16 aircraft in Asia as part of an approved $8 billion deal. Thus, 66 newly built F-16 C/D Block 70 aircraft will be seized, which will bring more than 200 F-16s to the island nation by 2026.
Meanwhile, the Air Force is deploying planes to intercept increasingly aggressive Chinese military flights as China angers the US-Taiwan defense relationship, which has exacerbated military and diplomatic pressure on the island, which is considered “holy” Chinese territory.
the Al Jazeera It appears from the article that, under Chinese pressure, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has prioritized the modernization of the armed forces, which are well-armed but dwarfed by the size of the Chinese army. In 2020, for example, the Taiwan Air Force deployed aircraft no fewer than 2,972 times against Chinese aircraft, at a cost of $905 million.
