The first delivery of U.S. made F-16V fighter planes to Taiwan has been postponed until next year. That’s according to Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正), who confirmed the delay in the legislature on Thursday. Chiu says the delay is due to supply chain and production issues in the United States caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chiu says that the first F-16V has already been assembled by manufacturer Lockheed Martin. He says that the defense ministry will receive weekly progress reports on the aircraft production and will ensure the contract is completed without disrupting Taiwan’s defensive capacity. The full batch of aircraft is scheduled to be finished in 2026.
Chiu says that government officials are continuing to work on the aircraft procurement program, known as the Fengzhan Project, through multiple channels. The project has a NT$110 billion (US$3.58 billion) budget to upgrade its current 140 F-16A/B fighters to the more advanced F-16V, as well as to purchase 66 new F-16V fighters from the U.S.
