Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries.
Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity.
F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package.
Photo: Yu Tai-lang, Taipei Times
Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) pilots are receiving F-16 training in the US to serve as seed instructors, the official said, adding that the program was allocated a budget of NT$36.7 million.
A delegation of Taiwanese Defense Mission to the US, air force generals and F-16 seed instructors are to attend an event marking the roll-off of the jets from the assembly lines, they said.
The late delivery of the jets sparked grave concerns among the involved parties, as two project managers had been sacked by Lockheed Martin and multiple Taiwanese liaison personnel were fired, Ministry of National Defense officials have said.
Taiwan has placed orders on virtually every type of aerial weapon and equipment used by the US Air Force for F-16 jets, including air-to-air missiles, anti-radiation missiles, precision-guided bombs, reconnaissance pods and forward-looking infrared systems.
The list of items Taiwan aims to obtain reportedly includes AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, but officials to date have refused to confirm or deny the rumors.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.
RSS