Six of Taiwan’s 66 newly purchased F-16V Block 70 jets from the US have completed factory acceptance and rolled off the production line, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said yesterday as he expressed hopes for more deliveries later this month.
Two arrived at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung County on Oct. 2, he said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting.
Under the air force’s Phoenix Rising program, US defense contractor Lockheed Martin and Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (漢翔) upgraded 140 F-16A/B jets to the F-16V configuration, completing the program in December 2023. Separately, the air force’s Phoenix Soaring program allocated NT$247.23 billion (US$7.751 billion) to procure 66 new F-16V Block 70 jets.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) and Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) asked about the delivery schedule for the F-16V jets and whether the aircraft were equipped with the Viper Shield electronic warfare pods.
Koo said six aircraft had passed flight tests and completed acceptance procedures. Of those, two had returned to Taiwan, two were at a US base for training, and two were undergoing testing.
More aircraft were expected to pass acceptance procedures this month, he said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The Ministry of National Defense hopes additional jets would arrive in Taiwan this month, he said, adding that the ministry would work with the air force’s project office to expedite the arrival of aircraft that have passed flight tests.
Lai asked whether all 66 aircraft could be delivered by the end of next year, to which, Koo said the ministry would make every effort and continue coordinating with the US, but he could not make any commitments.
Air Force Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Lee Ching-jan (李慶然) said some Viper Shield AN/ALQ-254(V)1 electronic warfare pods had been installed, while software development was ongoing. Both were proceeding according to the schedule, he said.
The electronic warfare system needs to be integrated with the new aircraft’s other systems, and integration testing was proceeding as scheduled, Koo said.
Meanwhile, the ministry in a report to the legislature has proposed scrapping the maximum length of service for air force pilots amid a shortage of experienced pilots, many of whom leave the military to fly for civilian airlines.
It cited defense needs in proposing to remove the cap, which would apply to some experienced pilots.
If the Cabinet approves the proposal and it takes effect, the ministry aims to retain 74 pilots ranked lieutenant colonel or colonel in service longer, according to the report.
Under the Act of Military Service for Officers and Non-commissioned Officers of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍軍官士官服役條例), pilots holding the rank of lieutenant colonel can serve a maximum of 26 years and colonels a maximum of 30 years.
That means pilots at these ranks must generally leave military service at about 48 and 52 years of age, respectively, the report said.
As a result, many military pilots leave the air force before reaching their service limits so they can join civilian airlines sooner. Airline pilots can work until 65 and earn significantly higher salaries, the report said.
It said the ministry proposed adding positions under a special staffing program and extending service for experienced lieutenant colonel and colonels who have served for at least 14 years and meet high qualification standards. Under the proposal, they could retain their current rank and voluntarily extend their service until age 58, without being subject to the usual service-length limits.
Based on publicly available data, colonel and lieutenant colonel-level pilots earn up to about NT$300,000 a month with additional allowances and retention bonuses. The average monthly salary for airline captains is NT$400,000 to NT$500,000.
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