Taiwan will not be able to receive the first F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters on time. This was announced by the Minister of Defense of the island
What is known
The reason for the delay was problems in the chaindeliveries that do not allow Lockheed Martin to deliver the aircraft to the customer on time. Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has vowed to minimize damage and is calling on the US to "fill in the gaps" by providing priority supplies of spare parts for its existing F-16 fleet.
Taiwan begins conversion of 141 aircraftF-16A/B to F-16V. The island nation also ordered 66 F-16 Viper Block 70/72 fighter jets. The US State Department approved the $8 billion deal in 2019.
Modernized fighter of the fourthThe F-16 Viper generation is equipped with new avionics, the capabilities of which correspond to the avionics capabilities of the fifth generation F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lighting II aircraft. The Link 16 standard allows the F-16V to exchange information in real time with the F-22 and F-35, as well as with Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and early warning aircraft.