Taiwan’s first two F-16V Block 70 jets depart US, expected to arrive soon

The first two of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets Taiwan purchased from the United States departed the US on August 17, 2026, Eastern Time, and are expected to arrive in Taiwan soon. 

The jets, bearing serial numbers 6727 and 6728, would be refueled in-flight and make a maintenance stop during the trans-Pacific journey to accommodate the pilots’ physical needs and the aircraft’s range limitations, the Taipei Times reported.

The first three F-16V Block 70 Multirole Fighters (serial numbers 6722, 6727, and 6728) of the 66 ordered by Taiwan left Lockheed Martin’s production line in South Carolina on August 17 and were transported to Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft are expected to arrive in Taiwan soon.… pic.twitter.com/RvVPeQQnaq— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) August 19, 2026 Delivery follows years of delays, double shifts at Lockheed Martin

The jets are part of Taiwan’s “Peace Phoenix Soaring” project, under which the country’s Air Force spent NT 247.2 Billion (US $7.74 Billion) between 2020 and 2026 to procure 66 new F-16V Block 70 aircraft from the United States. 

The contract was originally signed in 2019, with delivery initially expected between 2023 and 2024.

Delivery was delayed by several factors, including the relocation and restart of the production line, as well as broader supply chain disruptions affecting the aerospace industry. 

To accelerate output, Lockheed Martin had to run two production shifts, with factories operating up to 20 hours a day. According to Taiwan’s defense minister, as of early 2026, the manufacturer had resolved earlier bottlenecks in both components and staffing.

Taiwan’s experience mirrors delays seen by other F-16V buyers. Slovakia and Bulgaria ordered the jets in 2018 and 2019, respectively, but did not begin receiving deliveries until 2024 and 2025.

Upgrading the existing fleet and a faster delivery flight

Separately, under the “Peace Phoenix Rising” project, Lockheed Martin and Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC) upgraded all 140 of Taiwan’s existing F-16A/B Block 20 jets to the newer F-16V configuration, completing that work in December 2023.

The delivery flight for the new Block 70 jets stands in contrast to how Taiwan received its original F-16A/B Block 20 jets in 1997, the first time Taiwan received the aircraft type, part of a batch of 150 aircraft ordered in 1992 under the “Peace Fenghuang” program.

At that time, aircraft flying from the US to Taiwan were refueled in the air 19 times, roughly once per hour, across a three-leg journey from Fort Worth, Texas, to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, then to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, before finally reaching Chiayi Air Base in Taiwan.

The new Block 70 jets, however, are equipped with conformal fuel tanks that extend their range, and their technical specifications differ from the older Block 20 variant. The exact number of refueling operations and total flight time for the two aircraft now en route to Taiwan remain to be seen.

The remaining 63 aircraft are expected to follow through 2027 and 2028, with all 66 F-16Vs ultimately based at Zhihang Air Base in Taitung under the 7th Tactical Fighter Wing.

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