Taiwan to get upgraded F-16V fighter jets after US arms sale approved
- US$330 million deal is the second since US President Donald Trump took office, as defence ties deepen between Washington and Taipei
- Some 144 fighter jets will be revamped so they can better detect, track and identify a larger number of targets
Upgrading Taiwan’s fighter jets to F-16Vs will boost the self-ruled island’s defences, but in terms of combat capability the revamped aircraft will still lag behind Beijing’s, military analysts said.
The US$330 million deal was approved after a 30-day review process that expired at midnight on Wednesday. It is the second US arms sale to Taiwan in less than 18 months under US President Donald Trump and signifies a deepening of defence ties between Washington and Taipei.
Under the deal, the United States will provide spare parts for Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets, C-130 cargo planes, its Indigenous Defence Fighters, and all other aircraft systems and subsystems.
But it is Taiwan’s plan to upgrade its fighter jets to F-16V multi-role supersonic fighter jets that has caught attention. It will involve a total of 144 aircraft – the F-16A and F-16B fighters – which will be upgraded to the latest “Viper” model, according to the island’s Central News Agency.