Taiwan receives first F-16V fighter jets from US amid tensions with China
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Taiwan receives first F-16V fighter jets from US amid tensions with China")
File photo of US' first F-16V fighter jets. Photograph: (X/@KitambalaMarcel)
The two F-16Vs, made by Lockheed Martin, arrived at Taiwan's air force base in Taitung. The jets were set to arrive in early September after making refuelling stops in Hawaii and Guam.
Taiwan received the US' first F-16V fighter jets on Friday (October 2, 2026) as part of the country's effort to upgrade its military capabilities to counter a potential Chinese attack. It is part of an $8 billion deal which was approved during US President Donald Trump's first term and is scheduled for delivery this year.
The island nation made a deal for 66 F-16V fighter jets, which comes after Taiwan awaits Washington's approval of a separate $14 billion arms package that Trump paused after Chinese objections. China has always claimed Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.
F-16Vs designed and developed by Lockheed Martin
The two F-16Vs, made by Lockheed Martin, arrived at Taiwan's air force base in Taitung. The jets were set to arrive in early September after making refuelling stops in Hawaii and Guam. Several media reports indicated that shortly after taking off for Guam, the planes had turned back to Hawaii. Officials did not explain the delay.
Among those waiting was Kimi Chi, a salesman from the central city of Taichung, who had driven through the night so he could photograph the jet touching down in Taitung. Taking the setback in stride, he told AFP that "good things take time," adding that he was confident the aircraft's capabilities would mark a real step up once it arrived.
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"But what we are actually lacking the most right now is pilots. Of course, I hope the government can provide better additional allowances for these military pilots." Former Air Force serviceman Eric Chan, 57, marvelled at the improvements made to the F-16 over the past 30 years and said the fighter jets based in Taitung will "play a very important defensive role" against China.
"The threat from the CCP has always been there, so we definitely need to strengthen our defence capabilities," Chan told AFP, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. The F-16V represents a major upgrade over Taiwan's older F-16 A/B fleet, giving the island a more capable fourth-generation multi-role fighter.
