First two F-16V Block 70 jets from 2019 order land in Taiwan

Two F-16V Block 70 fighter jets landed in Taiwan on Friday 2 October, the first of 66 US-made aircraft ordered in 2019. 1 2 The jets flew via Hawaii and Guam and touched down at midday local time (0400 GMT); Deutsche Welle places the landing at Chihhang Air Base near Taitung on Taiwan's east coast. 1 2 The aircraft are built by Lockheed Martin under an $8 billion sale agreed during Donald Trump's first term, and have advanced avionics, weapons and radar to counter the Chinese air force, including its J-20 stealth fighters. Washington has been unwilling to supply Taiwan with the F-22 or F-35. 1 2

The delivery was delayed by several months. Deutsche Welle attributes this to reported software issues, while Al Jazeera attributes it to repeated requests from Beijing to the US to stop arming Taiwan. 1 2 Defense Minister Wellington Koo said more jets are coming: "Of course we won't only have delivered these two by year-end." He gave no further details, saying aircraft are moving through the production line and some have passed tests. 1 2 Deutsche Welle reports that Taiwan's air force, which scrambles almost daily in response to Chinese manoeuvres, is expected to have over 200 F-16Vs once deliveries are complete. Koo said China's intention to annex Taiwan by force has never changed. 1

The arrival comes a week after Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, and amid concern in Taiwan about US commitment to arming the island. 1 2 Trump has held back from signing off a new $14 billion arms package for Taiwan; in May he called it a "very good negotiating chip" in dealings with Beijing, according to Deutsche Welle. Al Jazeera adds that he approved an $11 billion package in December 2025. 1 2 The US says its policy has not changed. A State Department spokesperson, asked about the jets, said: "We continue standing with friends and allies across the Indo-Pacific to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values — that includes Taiwan." 1 2

Al Jazeera notes the US is bound by law to help Taiwan defend itself though the two have no formal diplomatic relations. Deutsche Welle says the Chinese foreign ministry had not commented on the arrival, and that US officials told Reuters a Chinese invasion before 2028 is considered increasingly unlikely. 2 1 Dozens of locals gathered at the base perimeter to watch the landing. A former air force serviceman said the jets would play a defensive role, while a salesman said the biggest shortage is pilots. 1