Taiwan takes delivery of first two F-16V Block 70 fighters

Taiwan's first two F-16V Block 70 fighters landed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung around midday on October 2, 2026, Focus Taiwan reported. The single-seat jets, serial numbers 6727 and 6728, arrived from Guam on the final leg of a delivery flight that began in the United States. The US retains ownership until a formal handover and acceptance checks are complete.

The aircraft left Lockheed Martin's Greenville, South Carolina facility on August 17, 2026, and reached Hawaii on August 21, 2026, staying there for about six weeks. They arrived in Taiwan without their AN/ALQ-254(V)1 Viper Shield electronic warfare systems. Defense Minister Wellington Koo said testing of the system remains on schedule.

Koo said more jets will arrive before the end of 2026 but did not say how many. The remainder of the order is due in 2027 and 2028.

Taiwan's F-16 history goes back three decades. The first F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft arrived in 1997, and that fleet was later upgraded to F-16V standard under a program that finished in December 2023. In August 2019 the US approved the sale of 66 new Block 70 jets, 56 single-seat and 10 two-seat, valued at about US$8 billion. Delivery had been set to start in 2023 but slipped because of the relocation and restart of the F-16 production line, supply chain problems and software issues.

The Block 70 has the AN/APG-83 AESA radar, conformal fuel tanks for greater range and reinforced landing gear for heavier loads. All 66 jets will be based at Chihhang with the 7th Tactical Fighter Wing, established in December 2023 to protect Taiwan's east coast. Once deliveries are complete, Taiwan will field more than 200 F-16s.