Taiwan F-16V Delivery Begins as Island Boosts Defense Against China

Taiwan – (Specail Correspondent/Web Desk) – Taiwan F-16V Delivery has finally started. On Friday, the island received its first two US-made F-16V fighter jets. It is a big step in Taiwan’s plan to build a stronger military and discourage any attack from China.

Lockheed Martin built both planes. They landed at the air base in Taitung, on Taiwan’s southeast coast.

The jets belong to an $8 billion order for 66 F-16V aircraft. Washington approved the sale during Donald Trump’s first term in office. The plan was for all 66 jets to arrive this year.

China says Taiwan is part of its land and has not ruled out using force to take it. Beijing also opposes American arms sales to the island.

The two planes were expected in early September. They were supposed to stop in Hawaii and Guam along the way.

However, local media reported that the jets flew back to Hawaii soon after leaving for Guam. No official reason was given.

Dozens of local people came to watch the landing. Some stood near the base fence with binoculars and cameras with long lenses.

Kimi Chi, a 37-year-old salesman, travelled overnight from Taichung to take photos. He was calm about the delay and said good things take time.

He expects the new hardware to make a clear difference. But he believes the biggest shortage is pilots, and he hopes the government will raise their allowances.

Eric Chan, a 57-year-old former air force serviceman, was impressed by how much the F-16 has improved over the last 30 years. He thinks the jets in Taitung will play a very important defensive role. In his view, the threat from China never goes away, so Taiwan must keep growing its strength.

The United States is Taiwan’s most important security partner and its largest arms supplier. Even so, bottlenecks in the American defense industry have slowed the delivery of key weapons.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo has said it will be challenging to deliver all the jets this year. This is true even though Lockheed Martin is making more planes.

The arrival comes while Taiwan waits for Washington to approve a separate $14 billion arms package. Trump has paused this record purchase.

In May, he called it a very good negotiating chip in his dealings with China. His words raised fears that Taiwan’s security could be traded away in a bigger deal.

Taiwan F-16V Delivery will likely continue in stages over the coming months. The schedule is tight, and more delays are possible.

For Taiwan, the planes are only half of the story. The island also needs enough trained pilots and ground crews to fly and maintain them. For now, many people in Taitung are simply happy to see the first jets on home soil.