Bangkok, Oct 2: Taiwan on Friday received the first two of 65 F-16V fighter jets ordered from the US, the island’s air force said, following years of delays.
The two F-16V Block 70 jets landed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung. There are 63 more to be delivered. The self-ruled island, which is also claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, placed an order for the F-16Vs in 2019.
Taiwan largely purchases arms from the US, its largest unofficial ally, to boost its defences in the face of a military threat from China. China sends fighter jets and ships toward the island almost daily. Taiwan’s defence minister said on Tuesday that the island remains in continuous discussions with the US about its weapons sales.
The shipment is the first in a long list of backlogged US orders worth almost USD 30 billion. The F-16Vs represent USD 8 billion, or roughly 25 per cent of the entire backlog, according to Taiwan Security Monitor at George Mason University.
The order had been delayed partly owing to production and supply chain issues.
The delivery of the jets comes as the island waits for the US administration to approve an additional USD 14 billion arms package.
That package has stalled after US President Donald Trump met with China’s President Xi Jinping in May. US defence sales to Taiwan are a major source of tension between the US and China. Beijing has repeatedly called for Washington to halt sales to Taiwan, with President Xi Jinping personally raising the issue. (AP)
