Taiwan's defence ministry announced that deliveries of the long-delayed F-16V fighter jets are expected to start this year, after senior defence officials traveled to the United States to inspect assembly operations. The ministry said production is operating at full capacity, though it did not provide a detailed delivery schedule.
The visit included Deputy Minister Hsu Szu-chien and Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff Tien Chung-yi, who viewed the first F-16V assembled for Taiwan at Lockheed Martin's production line in South Carolina, the ministry said in a statement. The trip and subsequent ministry statement followed years of complaints from Taipei about repeated delays to U.S.-supplied weapons, amid mounting military pressure from China.
In 2019 the United States approved an $8 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to Taiwan. That contract would raise Taiwan's F-16 fleet to more than 200 aircraft when complete, but the programme has encountered issues, including software problems that have contributed to schedule slippage.
Lockheed Martin told the defence ministry that it has assigned several hundred personnel to assemble the remaining jets and that there are no bottlenecks in parts supply or manpower. Production is being carried out at full capacity on a two-shift schedule, the company said, and it reiterated its commitment to delivering the capabilities Taipei seeks.
In a company statement, Lockheed Martin said it is committed to "delivering advanced deterrence capabilities to support Taiwan's security goals" and that it is working closely with the U.S. government "to accelerate delivery where possible." The ministry's public comment said only that deliveries will begin this year, without elaborating on exact timing or quantities.
The F-16V is a variant specifically configured for Taiwan. Because it is a new model tailored for the island, the ministry emphasized that continued test flights are necessary to calibrate and fine-tune onboard systems, and that those tests must be conducted carefully.
Taiwan has already modernized part of its fleet by converting 141 older F-16A/B aircraft into the F-16V configuration and has placed an order for 66 new F-16Vs equipped with upgraded avionics, weapons and radar systems. The ministry framed these upgrades as intended to strengthen Taiwan's ability to confront the Chinese air force, including the more advanced J-20 fighter referenced in its statement.
The announcement comes after prolonged concerns in Taipei about delays to U.S. arms deliveries. While Lockheed Martin has reported no current shortages in supply or staffing for the F-16V line, the ministry's reminder that test flights remain ongoing underscores that technical and verification steps are still under way before the full delivery programme is complete.
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