The programme

Under the programme known as Project Fenghsiang, Taiwan's air force budgeted NT$247.2 billion between 2020 and 2026 to buy 66 F-16V Block 70 aircraft from the United States. These are newly built airframes rather than upgrades of existing jets.

The first two aircraft departed the United States on Aug. 17 US Eastern time, using aerial refuelling and intermediate stops on the Pacific crossing, according to reports. Taiwan's military has said the precise arrival time is still being coordinated with the American side.

Capability and assessment

The Block 70 carries the AESA-type APG-83 radar and an infrared search-and-track system. Detection range and multi-target handling are reported to improve on earlier airframes. Reports also say all 140 AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missiles bought alongside the jets have been delivered.

Expert assessments differ. Some hold that the radar and infrared combination contributes meaningfully to detecting low-observable aircraft; others counter that the wider system — early warning and data links included — matters more than any individual airframe. This paper does not adjudicate.

Basing and schedule

The first aircraft are expected to land at a base in eastern Taiwan. They will then undergo acceptance checks and pilot conversion training before entering operational availability in sequence. Under published plans, delivery of all 66 spans several years.

Arms delivery schedules have shifted repeatedly with production delays and parts supply. Whether this first delivery becomes a reliable benchmark for the rest is too early to judge.