Finally, Lockheed Martin presented the first of the 66 new F-16 Block 70 fighters of the Taiwan Air Force

Published: 2025-03-31 10:50:11 ET LMT

Although there is no official announcement yet, Lockheed Martin has recently unveiled the first of the new 66 F-16 Block 70 fighters for the Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan). The ceremony, attended by officials from Taiwan's Ministry of Defense as well as representatives from the U.S. Congress, marks the end of significant delays in the delivery schedule, which had been the subject of recent inquiries from the Legislative Yuan to Taiwan's current defense minister.

As part of its various efforts to modernize and strengthen its Armed Forces, amid ongoing tensions with the People's Republic of China, Taiwan has undertaken a major modernization program focused on its fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters, structured in two phases.

First, through agreements reached with the United States under the Peace Phoenix Rising program, Taiwan upgraded its fleet of 144 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft to the Block 70 Viper standard. According to announcements made in 2023, these efforts were completed with a total of 139 upgraded combat aircraft, as accidental operational losses had reduced Taiwan's fleet of Fighting Falcons since the agreements were signed.However, in a second phase, aimed at replacing several aircraft models in service, such as the Mirage 2000, Taiwan also confirmed the purchase of 66 new F-16 Block 70 fighters, to be manufactured by Lockheed Martin in the United States. Unlike the Block 20 upgrade program, however, the delivery schedule has faced delays and rescheduling.

According to previous reports, the first newly built aircraft were expected to be delivered in 2024, but this did not happen. The issue is significant, as not only have the F-16 Block 70 deliveries been delayed, but other military equipment packages committed by Washington have also faced setbacks.

Finally, during an information session before the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's Minister of Defense, Wellington Li-Hsiung Koo, suggested to lawmakers that the presentation and delivery of the first F-16 Block 70 would take place soon. He informed legislators that Lockheed Martin had completed the final assembly of the first aircraft, which was undergoing testing. Additionally, he confirmed that an official ceremony would be held in the coming days at the Greenville facility, where the new Vipers are manufactured. Although he would not attend, a delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Defense would be present.Later, through a post on his X account, a U.S. congressman officially confirmed the ceremony at Lockheed Martin's facilities. More specifically, William Timmons, a Republican congressman for South Carolina's 4th District, posted on March 28: 'It was an honor to speak today at Lockheed Martin in Greenville for the F-16 Taiwan Delivery Ceremony. We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan's air defense capabilities.'

Thanks to the photograph shared by Timmons, the first F-16 Block 70 for the Republic of China Air Force can be seen-a two-seater aircraft with the serial number '6831.'

However, there has been no official statement from Lockheed Martin, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, or government news agencies providing further details about the ceremony or the delivery schedule for the remaining 65 Vipers.

Following the pattern observed with recent deliveries to Slovakia and Bulgaria, it is likely that the aircraft has already undergone or is currently undergoing various ground and flight tests before its final delivery to the Republic of China Air Force. It has also not been confirmed whether additional aircraft are nearing final assembly in Greenville.

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