The first two of a total of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighters ordered by Taiwan from the United States in 2019 have arrived on the island after months of delays. The planes landed on Friday at the “Chihang“ air base in Taitung County, BTA reports.
The delivery comes amid increasing military pressure from China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory. Taipei relies heavily on US arms supplies to bolster its defense capabilities.
The planes flew over Hawaii and Guam before reaching Taiwan. President William Lai called their arrival an important step in strengthening the country's air defenses and thanked the United States for its support.
Defense Minister Wellington Ku said more F-16Vs were expected to arrive soon, without giving a specific timeframe.
In 2019, Washington approved the sale of 66 F-16V fighters to Taiwan in a deal worth about $8 billion. Once the deliveries are complete, Taiwan's F-16 fleet will exceed 200 aircraft. However, the program has been delayed by problems related to production, supply chains and software.
The arrival of the first two aircraft comes just about a week after a meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Against this backdrop, discussions continue in Taiwan about future US arms sales.
Washington says its policy toward Taiwan has not changed. However, Beijing has repeatedly called on the US to end arms sales to the island.