Taiwan commissions advanced F-16 fighters amid rising tensions with China

CHIAYI (Taiwan) • President Tsai Ing-wen lauded Taiwan's military cooperation with the US yesterday as she commissioned the first combat wing of F-16 fighters upgraded with American help to bolster the island's defences during rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

Frequent Chinese and United States military exercises in the region have raised fears of conflict touched off by a crisis over Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province to be reunified, by force if necessary.

Ms Tsai, speaking during a ceremony at an airbase in the southern Taiwanese city of Chiayi to unveil the first squadron of its most advanced F-16s - the F-16V - said the project showed the firm commitment of the partnership between Taipei and Washington.

"I believe that as long as we adhere to the values of democracy and freedom, there will be more like-minded countries standing on the same front with us," she said.

Sharing the stage with her was the top US diplomat in Taiwan, Ms Sandra Oudkirk.

The US has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is the island's main international backer and arms supplier.

The NT$110 billion (S$5.4 billion) F-16 upgrade is led by manufacturer Lockheed Martin and Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation.

It is the latest example of military cooperation between Washington and Taipei.

Taiwan has been converting 141 F-16A/B jets into the F-16V type, 64 of which have already been upgraded.

The island has also ordered 66 new F-16Vs, which have new avionics, weapons and radar systems, to better face down the Chinese air force, including its J-20 stealth fighter.

The F-16Vs can carry Raytheon Technologies' advanced AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

To a backdrop of dance music broadcast over the airbase, the F-16 fighters showed off their moves, including combat take-offs and landings, flying low in formation above the runway.

Ms Tsai said that as more F-16Vs entered service, Taiwan's defences would be "even stronger".

Taiwan's air force is well trained but dwarfed by China's.

The US in 2019 approved a US$8 billion (S$10.9 billion) sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, a deal that would take the island's F-16 fleet to more than 200 jets, the largest in Asia.

China, meanwhile, has announced sanctions on Lockheed Martin for selling arms to Taiwan.

REUTERS