The single Block 70 Fighting Falcon was warmly welcomed in Taiwan, which is in a precarious position, less than 200 kilometers away from its much more powerful neighbor.

The self-governing island nation of Taiwan has received the first of its sixty-six F-16 Block 70 fighters. The two-seat F-16D Fighting Falcon was handed over at Lockheed Martin‘s Greenville, South Carolina, facility. It won‘t be flying to Taiwan yet and will likely be used to train the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) pilots before it is transferred later this year.

The aerospace and defense giant will reportedly produce around four F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft monthly. At the same time, Taiwan is expected to see deliveries of all sixty-six F-16C/D fighters completed by the end of next year. 

When that is completed, the RoCAF will be one of the world’s largest operators of multirole aircraft, with more than 200 in total. That will include around 140 older F-16A/B aircraft delivered in the 1990s.

Many aircraft have been updated to the Block 70 configuration, the F-16V. The fighters are outfitted with the upgraded AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned arrays, AN/ALQ-254(V)1 all-digital electronic warfare suites, and new mission computers, cockpits, and interface systems.

Keeping the Fight in the Fighting Falcon

Powered by the GE Aerospace F110 engine, the Block 70 F-16s produce more thrust and can carry additional ordnance than previous F-16 variants. They also offer an extended structural service life of 12,000 hours and critical safety features like the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS). 

Since its integration into the U.S. Air Force in late 2014, the Auto GCAS has saved thirteen pilots across twelve F-16 incidents, exemplifying the aircraft‘s unparalleled safety and performance standards.

The modernized Fighting Falcons are equipped with conformal fuel tanks. They can carry the  AIM-120 and AIM-9 air-to-air missiles and various ground attack munitions, including anti-radiation missiles, GPS-guided bombs, and even long-range AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon glide bombs.

Though Taipei‘s refurbished F-16A/B aircraft don‘t quite reach the same level of thrust, it is still seen as a notable improvement in capabilities. The Block 70/72 is expected to be the final model of the F-16, which has been in service for nearly five decades.

As Military Watch reported, “At a time when F-16 operators around the world are phasing the aging fighter class out of service, the Republic of China remains the only major operator expanding its fleet, largely due to an inability to procure more advanced F-35 fifth-generation fighters.”

The U.S. Air Force is no longer acquiring the Fighting Falcon, but Lockheed Martin continues to build the F-16 for foreign customers worldwide. Bahrain, Bulgaria, Morocco, Slovakia, and Turkey are among the other nations currently adopting the F-16V models to bolster their respective air forces. 

This serves as a reminder that the F-16 remains the world‘s most successful, combat-proven multi-role jet fighter, with more than 4,600 aircraft built since production was approved in 1976.

Fighting Falcon v.s. PLAAF‘s Mighty Dragon?

The arrival of the F-16V Fighting Falcons will significantly enhance the RoCAF‘s capabilities, but the People‘s Republic of China (PRC) remains a regional powerhouse. Its People‘s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) operates the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, a fifth-generation stealth fighter.

Though the PLAAF doesn‘t have hundreds of the Mighty Dragons in service, at least not yet, the J-20 is a vastly more dangerous warbird. As more Mighty Dragons are hatched, the PLAAF could gain the advantage in the skies.

Beijing sees the self-ruling Taiwan as a breakaway province that will be returned to mainland control and by force if necessary. There has been speculation that the PRC has been preparing to launch an invasion across the Taiwan Strait by 2027, but experts have warned it could come even sooner.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/ Staff Sgt. Beaux Hebert.

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