The Taiwanese Air Force has expressed concern over the possibility of another delay in the delivery of the new F-16 Block 70 fighters purchased from the United States. The service is awaiting the arrival of the first aircraft included in the order for 66 units, currently being produced by Lockheed Martin. The initial delivery was originally scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024, with completion expected by the end of 2026. However, production has been affected by recurring delays at U.S. assembly lines.
During a recent legislative session, the Chief of Staff of the Taiwanese Air Force, Lieutenant General Li Ching-jang, acknowledged that “the risk assessment is quite high” regarding compliance with the agreed timeline. Li explained that part of the allocated budget remains in reserve in case the deliveries are not completed on schedule. In addition, when a legislator suggested amending the Special Budget Act to extend the implementation deadlines, the officer stated that “this aspect will also be evaluated.”
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.–Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, noted during a conference that among bilateral defense projects, only the F-16 program—valued at $8 billion—and another smaller initiative worth under $1 billion are experiencing delays.
In previous months, Taiwan had expressed confidence that the first aircraft would be delivered this year. In June, Li Ching-jang had stated that the country expected to receive more than 10 aircraft during 2025 and complete the entire purchase by 2026. However, as the year progressed, production delays in the United States led to a reassessment of those expectations.
In March 2025, Lockheed Martin officially unveiled the first F-16 Block 70 destined for the Taiwanese Air Force at a ceremony attended by officials from Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense and members of the U.S. Congress. The event marked progress after earlier setbacks that had affected the original schedule.
However, according to information released in June 2025, the United States planned to deliver the first 10 F-16 Block 70 fighters by the end of the year (as previously stated). Nevertheless, confirmation of further delays from Taiwanese authorities has raised uncertainty about the feasibility of meeting that goal.
The contract is part of Taiwan’s broader military modernization program, which includes upgrading 144 F-16A/B Block 20 fighters to the Block 70 Viper standard under the Peace Phoenix Rising program. According to data from the Ministry of Defense, 139 aircraft have been successfully upgraded, as some were lost in operational accidents.
The second component of the plan involves the acquisition of 66 new F-16 Block 70 fighters, intended to replace older models such as the Mirage 2000 and the recently retired R/F-5 Tiger II reconnaissance aircraft. Although deliveries were originally scheduled to begin in 2024, adjustments in Lockheed Martin’s production schedule and successive reschedulings continue to delay the arrival of the newly built fighter jets in Taiwan.
Images for illustrative purposes only.
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