The Ministry of National Defense told legislators last week that production of the planes has been delayed because of issues relating to equipment Taiwan wants installed. Two of the fighters are expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter this year, and will be used for flight tests.
Taiwanese lawmakers have questioned why there’s been a delay in receiving $20 billion of weapons it has bought from the US. In addition to the F-16s, Taiwan has bought Patriot air defense systems, the Harpoon coastal defense system and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
Last year, the Pentagon blamed those delays on production bottlenecks. At the same time, though, the US has been prioritizing Ukraine over Taiwan when it comes to supplying weapons.
In May, a bipartisan group of US members of Congress visited Taiwan and vowed that those long-promised weapons will be on their way. “We are moving forward on those weapons systems,” said the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul. “I’d like to see to see it faster, but they are forthcoming.”
McCaul told NBC News that strong US support for Taiwan will make China question whether it is worth attacking the island.
“We have to demonstrate that the consequences would be way too severe and the risks would outweigh the consequences,” he said.
Last month, the Biden administration said it was putting Ukraine at the head of the line when it came to receiving US-made air defense interceptor missiles for Patriot missile batteries and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS).
Still, a spokesman for the National Security Council said the shift would not affect Taiwan and what it “continues to need and receive for self-defense.”
The F-16V is seen as a crucial part of Taiwan’s defenses of the future. Its maker, Lockheed Martin, calls it the world’s most advanced fourth-generation fighter. Its upgrades are designed to let it operate with newer fighters such as the F-35 and F-22, and are said to ensure that the plane remains operational until 2060 or later.
It was unveiled in 2012, and is equipped with Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 AESA radar. That system provides F-16s with fifth-generation fighter capabilities.
Before Taiwan agreed to buy the F-16V, Lockheed Martin received a $.85 billion contract to upgrade 145 of Taiwan’s older F-16s, using technology based on the new variant.
The emphasis on US weapons sales to Taiwan comes as China ramps up its aggressive behavior toward Taiwan. Last week, Taipei said that China sent a record number of warplanes across what’s called the median line in the Taiwan Strait. That follows multiple drills by the Chinese air force and navy in the region following the wake of the election of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who is a champion of the island’s sovereignty.
