Taiwan has received its first newly built F-16V Block 70 fighter jets from the United States, beginning deliveries under a long-delayed $8 billion sale intended to strengthen the island's air defences as it faces what it describes as a rising military threat from China.
Two aircraft built by Lockheed Martin landed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung at midday local time (0400 GMT) on October 2, 2026. They are the first of 66 US-made F-16V Block 70 planes ordered in 2019. The aircraft travelled to Taiwan via Hawaii and Guam, with aerial refuelling support on the transpacific journey.
The arrival gives Taiwan its first newly built fighter aircraft in nearly three decades. Previous fighter deliveries dated from the 1990s. Taiwan already operates more than 140 older F-16A/B fighters, which were upgraded to the F-16V standard in a programme completed in 2023.
Once the new aircraft are delivered, Taiwan's F-16 fleet will exceed 200 planes, giving it one of the world's largest F-16 fleets. The new jets carry advanced avionics, weapons and radar systems intended to help counter the Chinese air force, including its stealthy J-20 fighters.
The programme has fallen well behind its original timetable. Deliveries had been due to start in 2023, but production problems, supply chain constraints and software integration issues pushed the schedule back more than three years. The arrival of the two aircraft was delayed by several months because of reported software issues and production delays.
The jets left for Hawaii in August 2026, where they remained for about a month and a half before continuing through Guam to Taiwan. The reason they stayed in Hawaii for that period has not been specified.
Taiwan's defence minister, Wellington Koo, said further aircraft would arrive before the end of the year. “Of course we won't only have delivered these two by year-end,” he said. He added: “At present, I think aircraft are gradually moving through the production line, and there are also aircraft that have passed tests”.
Koo said deliveries would continue into 2027 and 2028. Lockheed Martin had unveiled the first newly built F-16 Block 70 for Taiwan at its plant in Greenville, South Carolina, in March 2025.
The timing of the delivery carries political weight. It came about a week after US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. China claims the democratically governed island as its own territory and has objected to arms sales to Taiwan.
The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, although Washington and Taipei have no formal diplomatic relations. A State Department spokesperson said the US continued to stand with friends and allies across the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, to advance shared prosperity, security and values.
Washington has declined to provide Taiwan with its most advanced fighters, including the F-22 and F-35. The F-16V sale therefore remains a central part of Taiwan's effort to modernise its air force.
It also arrives as concern grows in Taiwan over the Trump administration's commitment to arming Taipei. Trump has stalled approval of a separate $14 billion package for Taiwan. In May, he described arms packages as a “very good negotiating chip” in dealings with Beijing.
Koo said Washington had repeatedly assured Taipei since the Trump-Xi summit that US policy towards Taiwan remained unchanged. The two aircraft now at Chihhang Air Base provide a first delivery under the 2019 sale, while the pace and completion of the wider programme will depend on aircraft moving through Lockheed Martin's production line over the next two years.
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