US seeks to speed delivery of new F-16s to Taiwan, as China piles on pressure

Name: Taiwan deploys its most advanced F-16V fighter jets amid rising military tensions with Beijing
Uploaded: 2022-01-20T17:26:36.000Z
Duration: 1 min 15 s
Description: Taiwan deploys its most advanced F-16V fighter jets amid rising military tensions with Beijing

The batch of 66 next generation aircraft, currently slated for 2026, would give the island one of the largest F-16 fleets in Asia

Repeated missions to intercept increasingly aggressive Chinese planes are putting stress on Taiwan’s air force, which last year had several mishaps

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Taiwanese air force pilots run past an armed US-made F-16V fighter at an air force base in Chiayi on January 5. Photo: AFP

Reuters

Published: 1:26am, 21 Jan 2022

The United States is looking for ways to potentially accelerate delivery of Taiwan’s next generation of new-build F-16 fighter planes, US officials said, bolstering the Taiwanese air force’s ability to respond to what Washington and Taipei see as increasing intimidation by China’s military.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they have not yet come up with a solution on how to speed delivery of Block 70 F-16s, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and equipped with new capabilities. The aircraft are currently slated to be delivered by the end of 2026.

Taiwan’s government has privately expressed its wish for a faster delivery to US President Joe Biden’s administration, a senior Taiwanese official said, as the self-ruled island’s air force scrambles jets to intercept increasingly aggressive Chinese military flights.

More missions mean more wear-and-tear on Taiwan’s aircraft.

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Taiwan deploys its most advanced F-16V fighter jets amid rising military tensions with Beijing

“It’s all about risk assessment … and it’s clear where the risks are,” the Taiwanese official said, referring to tensions across the sensitive Taiwan Strait separating the island from mainland China. The F-16 is considered a highly manoeuvrable aircraft proven in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack.