Taiwan's First F-16 Block 70s Land After Years of Delays

Serial numbers 6727 and 6728 touched down at Chihhang Airbase—the opening delivery of a 66-jet order placed back in 2019.

By The Defense Desk

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The delivery, originally scheduled for 2023, slipped repeatedly. The company's 2019 move of its F-16 production line from Fort Worth, Texas, to Greenville, South Carolina, caused delays as the new facility came online, and supply chain shortages in 2021 pushed deliveries back another year. [1]

Even the final delivery flight hit turbulence: in September 2026, the jets were held at stopovers in Hawaii and Guam due to adverse weather before completing the Pacific crossing. [1]

The Block 70s will join the Republic of China Air Force's 7th Tactical Fighter Wing at Chihhang, replacing the F-5 Tiger II aircraft retired by the unit in 2024. [1]

The arrival closes a long logistical chapter, but acceptance testing and aircrew training still lie ahead before these jets translate into operational weight.

Taiwan's air force says it will "systematically advance various preparations to ensure the gradual formation of combat capability" as the remaining aircraft from the 66-jet order follow. [1]