The first two F-16V blk70 fighter aircraft, numbered 6727 and 6728, departed the United States on August 17 US Eastern Time heading for Taiwan. To manage crew physical strain and flight planning for the transpacific route, the aircraft will undergo midair refueling and technical maintenance stops along the way before arriving in Taiwan.
The delivery is part of Taiwan's procurement program for 66 new F-16V blk70 fighters under a continuous budget of 247.23 billion New Taiwan dollars. Although initial plans called for all aircraft to be delivered within this year, deliveries were delayed due to factory relocation and supply chain disruptions. US production is operating two shifts to expedite work.
Separately, an earlier upgrade project involving Lockheed Martin and AIDC converted 140 existing F-16A/B aircraft to the F-16V blk20 standard, which was completed in December 2023.
