Taiwan’s air force now expects to take delivery of its first batch of four revamped F-16s by the end of the year. These planes are built around the latest F-16V standard of the all-weather, multi-role supersonic fighter series made by Lockheed Martin.
Taiwan shelled out about NT$129.6 billion (US$4.21 billion) in January 2017 on the Phoenix Rising Project to get the Maryland-based defense juggernaut to upgrade its fleet of 143 F-16A/Bs to the latest configuration, which is dubbed V for “Viper.”
The Diplomat reported earlier this year that delays in software testing in the US had reduced the number of the initial upgrades from 10 to four. The first F-16 fighter jet in its V configuration for Taiwan’s army took flight in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2015.
The Taiwan Defense Ministry wants the first F-16V squadron to be combat-ready by no later than 2019 to form a bulwark against the armada of mainland Chinese bombers and spy planes that pierce the island’s airspace almost on a daily basis.
Taiwan’s remaining F-16s are to be upgraded in separate batches of 20 to 24 per year in the central city of Taichung, in joint collaboration with Taiwan’s state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp, Lockheed Martin’s local partner on the island.
Some of the aircraft will also be flown to Texas for retrofitting.
With a set of standards and specifications that can be retrofitted to suit and upgrade most in-service F-16s, the F-16V configuration features advanced avionics including an active electronically scanned array fire-control radar, new modular mission computer, electronic warfare suite, automated ground collision avoidance system as well as at least twice the situational awareness capability of the F-16A/B.
The upgraded fighters will also have a helmet-mounted cue system linked to the AIM-9X Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles, giving pilots the ability to “see and shoot,” according to available specifications of the latest variant.
The new radar will enable Taiwan’s F-16s to detect and engage stealth aircraft including the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s J-20 fighters, according to former Taiwanese defense minister Feng Shih-kuan.
Other advanced weapons the F-16V is rated to carry and are likely to be included in future US arms sales are the AGM-154C joint standoff weapon – or glide bomb – and the AGM-88B high-speed anti-radiation missile.
IHS Jane’s has also noted that based on a 75% operational rate as well as maintenance and/or other life cycle support, Taiwan’s air force would have 79 F-16A/Bs operational at any given time for the duration of the upgrade.
Taiwan initially wanted to procure 66 new F-16s, but then-US president Barack Obama decided against it in 2011 and offered instead an upgrade to avoid a major rift with mainland China. The current administration of President Donald Trump could revisit this decision.
Nice to have. Useless should actual conflict breaks out.
This is a completely sensible programme. Periodic capability upgrades have regularly enhanced the effective combat life of the F-16 family of fighters. The upgrades would surely offset natural obsolescence. Rather than ‘useless’ in war, the F-16V would prove to be a viable force against any comparable opposition.
MiG pilots agree, "do not engage". https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/why-russia-china-still-fear-the-f-16-fighting-falcon-21976
Sure, by all means, upgrade your military however you like. Just don’t pretend that it in any way will make it a match for the PLA. The Taiwan airforce is now so old and obsolete that it no longer intercepts PLA planes when they violate their air defense identification zone…making it meaningless.
Not mentioned in the article is the upgrade of stealth capability which reduces the radar signture by upto 80%. Not as good as F-35, but good enough as a defensive weapon in a limited space over Taiwan and Southern Coast of China, where there are less advantages of having stealth fighters becasue the entire region are prone to radar jamming. Therefore it makes more sense to operate capabile conventional dog fighters such as SU-35 rather than low manuverable aircrafts such as J-20s, which are not capable dog fighters. Certainly not as good as the F-16s.
Sorry but Ur comments r pure rubbish! Taiwanese will have what it takes to stand up against China!
Umran Sharieff instead of posting moronic statements, why don’t you actually look up their military capabilities? You can find them online.
Jason Jean If Taiwan is as weak as you claim then the PLA would already have attacked Taiwan. After all the PLA is famous for shooting defenseless opponents be it Taiwan or their own university students.
Yi-Hsin Huang you’ve got your governments mixed up. Chiang Jieshi was famous for repeatedly gunning down university students he didn’t like. I walked through the museum at Southwestern Normal University which showed the carnage of university students speaking out against Republican rule. Or perhaps you’re incorrectly referring to Tiananmen in 1989 which, despite what you might have incorrectly hard, was not a predominently student protest, nor was it against Communist rule. Additionally, most of the 200 people killed weren’t even at Tiananmen. They were violent rioters in other areas of Beijing.
The PLA doesn’t want to take Taiwan by force but you will see it if Taiwan declares independence. The PLA have already said it would take three days to completely conquer the island at present.
Jason Jean Whatever lies you have to say to make you sleep better.