First two of Taiwan's 66 new F-16V fighter jets arrive at Taitung air base

The first two of a batch of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered in 2019 arrived in Taiwan on Friday after months of delays, bolstering an air force that scrambles almost daily to shadow China’s military, Reuters reported.

The aircraft, which flew via Hawaii and Guam, touched down at Taitung’s Chihhang Air Base on the mountainous east coast at noon (0400 GMT).

“This is an important development in strengthening Taiwan’s air defence capabilities,” President Lai Ching-te wrote on Facebook, thanking the United States for its support. Defence Minister Wellington Koo told reporters at parliament in Taipei that more new F-16Vs would arrive soon, though he gave no details.

The United States approved the $8bn sale of Lockheed Martin F-16V jets in 2019, a deal that would take Taiwan’s F-16 fleet to more than 200, but issues including software problems delayed delivery. The arrival came almost exactly a week after US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, amid concern in Taipei about Washington’s commitment to arming Taiwan.

Trump said in May, after meeting Xi in Beijing, that he was holding a new $14bn package for Taiwan in abeyance, though he approved one worth $11bn in December 2025. The new F-16Vs carry advanced avionics, weapons and radar to counter the Chinese air force, including its J-20 stealth fighters; Washington has declined to provide Taiwan with F-22 or F-35 jets.