The Taipei Times, citing informed sources, reported that the first two of the 66 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets that Taipei purchased from the United States are ready to arrive in Taiwan.
Sources indicated that two aircraft, numbered 6727 and 6728, would fly separately to Taiwan, with in-flight maintenance and refueling stops. The exact date and route of the flights were not disclosed.
Images of the two fighter jets at a Lockheed Martin facility in Texas were published in Taiwanese media and on social media.
Taiwan purchased 66 F-16 Block 70 (also known as F-16V) fighter jets from the United States as part of an arms sale to Taipei approved by Washington in 2019 during President Donald Trump's first term.
The island was supposed to receive the first batch of aircraft in 2023, but for several reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the fighters were not delivered.
Taipei expected last year to receive all the requested fighter jets by the end of 2026, but it is now believed that not all of the requested fighters will arrive during this period, or that only part of them will arrive. Taiwan has repeatedly expressed concern over delays in the delivery of US aircraft.
