The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday.
Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way of Hawaii and Guam.
Photo: Screen grab from the US Air Force’s Web site
The aircraft would undergo 18 to 20 aerial refuelings during the transit, they said.
US pilots would fly the single-seat F-16Cs, with Taiwanese copilots in the double-seat F-16Ds to help familiarize them with their soon-to-be fielded fighters, the official said.
The jets would join the Taitung-based 7th Tactical Fighter Wing to serve alongside its F-16Vs, forming a unit with an authorized strength of 205 tactical aircraft, they said.
The 7th wing, composed entirely of modernized F-16s, would be the most powerful unit in the Taiwanese air force and shoulder the main responsibility of defending the nation in the air, they said.
The US in 1997 used the same method to deliver Taiwan’s first F-16s, they added.
For legal purposes, US personnel must retain control of the aircraft until Taiwan formally accepts them into service to complete the transfer of ownership, the official said.
The Ministry of National Defense obtained the F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets through the NT$247.2 billion (US$8.35 billion) New Combat Aircraft Procurement Program.
The F-16 has undergone numerous upgrades and improvements throughout its service life, which started in 1974, with Block 70/72 being the latest — and likely the last — version of the aircraft.
The Block 70/72 variant of the fighter is equipped with a more powerful radar, engine and avionics, features that Taiwan’s military believes are necessary to counter China’s most advanced tactical aircraft, some of which utilize stealth technology.
Air force Chief of Staff Lee Ching-jan (李慶然) on Wednesday last week told lawmakers that representatives of the Taiwanese military were working with Lockheed Martin Corp to hasten F-16 production.
Lockheed Martin increased the number of assembly line workers to boost manufacturing capability following requests by Taiwanese representatives, he added.
The military is optimistic that 10 or more of the new F-16s would arrive in Taiwan this year and the full order would be completed next year, he said.
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