(AFP) – Taiwan received on Friday its first F-16V fighter jets made by the United States, as the island democracy upgrades its military capabilities to deter a potential Chinese attack. The warplanes are part of an $8 billion deal for 66 F-16Vs approved during US President Donald Trump’s first term and scheduled for delivery this year. The arrival of the aircraft comes as Taiwan awaits Washington’s approval of a separate $14 billion arms package that Trump paused after Chinese objections. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.
The two F-16Vs, made by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, touched down under a clear sky at Taiwan’s air force base in Taitung, on the island’s southeast coast. The jets had been expected in early September after making refueling stops in Hawaii and Guam. Local media reported that the planes had turned back to Hawaii shortly after taking off for Guam. No official explanation was given. Dozens of locals, some equipped with binoculars and long-lensed cameras, gathered near the air base’s perimeter fence to watch the highly anticipated arrival of the jets.
Kimi Chi, a salesman from the central city of Taichung, had travelled through the night to be able to photograph the aircraft landing in Taitung. He was philosophical about the delays, saying “good things take time.” “In terms of hardware capabilities, there will definitely be an improvement,” the 37-year-old told AFP. “But what we are actually lacking the most right now is pilots. Of course, I hope the government can provide better additional allowances for these military pilots.”
Former Air Force serviceman Eric Chan, 57, marvelled at the improvements made to the F-16 over the past 30 years and said the fighter jets based in Taitung will “play a very important defensive role” against China. “The threat from the CCP has always been there so we definitely need to strengthen our defence capabilities,” Chan told AFP, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. The F-16V is a fourth-generation multi-role fighter and a significantly upgraded version of Taiwan’s ageing F-16 A/B jets. Equipped with more advanced combat, detection and engine capabilities, the F-16V will be “a valuable addition to Taiwan’s air force in countering China’s military threat,” said Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
– Delivery delays –
The United States is Taiwan’s most important security backer and biggest arms supplier. However, bottlenecks have slowed the delivery of critical weapons. Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo said previously it would be “challenging” for all the F-16Vs to be delivered this year, despite Lockheed Martin ramping up production. On Friday, Koo said more F-16Vs would be delivered to Taiwan “before the end of the year”, but did not say how many. “At present, I think aircraft are gradually moving through the production line, and there are also aircraft that have passed the tests,” Koo stated. “As for when they will fly back, we will coordinate further with the US side.”
Trump has stalled signing off on the record $14 billion weapons purchase by Taipei, calling it in May a “very good negotiating chip” in dealings with China, which raised fears that Taiwan’s security could be traded away. Experts believe approval for the package is unlikely before the G20 summit in the United States in December, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump are expected to meet for the fourth time this year. A US official said recently it was increasingly likely the $14 billion worth of arms, which include the Patriot air defence system, would be broken up into smaller amounts to temper China’s response.
– Akio WANG
© 2024 AFP
