First new F-16V fighter jets to arrive in Taiwan to bolster defences against China — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Taiwan will receive the first two of 66 new F-16V jets at Taitung air base on Oct. 2, part of a US$8 billion (S$10 billion) 2019 deal that will expand its F-16 fleet past 200 aircraft.
- Lockheed Martin F-16V delivery was hit by months of delays, including software problems, and arrives amid growing concern in Taipei about the Trump administration's commitment to arming the island.
- Donald Trump held a separate US$14 billion Taiwan arms package in abeyance after meeting Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, though he approved US$11 billion in arms in December 2025.
- Defence Minister Wellington Koo told reporters at Parliament that more F-16Vs would arrive before year-end beyond the initial two, without giving details.
- The new F-16Vs carry advanced avionics, weapons, and radar systems designed to counter China's stealthy J-20 fighters, though the US has not provided Taiwan its most advanced jets like the F-22 or F-35.
- The US State Department said it 'continue[s] standing with friends and allies across the Indo-Pacific — that includes Taiwan,' while the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the delivery.
- Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly told Washington to stop arming the island, and most countries refuse to sell Taiwan weapons for fear of angering China.
Why it matters: Taiwan's air force gains F-16Vs with radar and avionics built to counter China's J-20 stealth fighters, yet the jets still cannot match the F-35 or F-22 that Washington has refused to provide — and a separate $14 billion Trump-era arms package remains parked in abeyance even as Beijing demands the US stop arming Taipei.
Ask SkimNews
