The US Air Force has upgraded Taiwan’s 139 F16 fighters to the V version, the most modern
The US Air Force has upgraded 139 Taiwanese Air Force F-16 fighters to the F-16Vs (Block 70-72) configuration.
The last aircraft of the Peace Phoenix Rising program was delivered in December, writes A ir and Space Forces Magazine citing the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
This comes five years after the delivery of the first F-16V in late 2018 and just over two years after the commissioning of Taiwan's first F-16V squadron, scheduled for November 2021.
The $4.5 billion Phase 1 upgrades include “the AN/APG-83 AESA radar, the Sniper targeting pod, the Link 16, a helmet-mounted cue system, precision GPS navigation… a updated modular mission, a high-speed Ethernet data network, a new display on the central cockpit pedestal, and heavy-duty landing gear,” as reported by Air and Space Forces Magazine.
Other changes include structural upgrades to the wings, fuselage and landing gear.
The V update, also called Block 70/72, was designed to increase the performance of the fighter, especially from an electronic point of view, but also structurally, to allow a fourth generation fighter to be able to compete with fifth generation fighters, therefore much more recent.
This announcement will certainly lead to tensions with mainland China, which sees Taiwan as a rebellious province.
66 new F-16Vs within three years
Designed to improve Taiwan's deterrence against a potential Chinese invasion, the largest retrofit program of F-16s on sale overseas began in 2016.
The upgrades will be followed by the delivery of 66 new F-16Vs within two to three years worth $8 billion.
The news comes after 24 U.S. lawmakers urged Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in November to speed up the program's end.
“Taiwan urgently needs these new and upgraded aircraft, and a stronger and more resilient Taiwan will improve stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the letter read.
Taiwan requested the upgrades and new aircraft after the United States denied it F-35s.
Furthermore, Taiwan has requested US support for the development of an indigenous aircraft, scheduled for first flight in 2025 and which will be the T5 “B rave eagle ” light fighter/trainer.
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The article The US Air Force has upgraded Taiwan's 139 F16 fighters to the V version, the most modern comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-us-air-force-ha-aggiornato-i-139-caccia-f16-di-taiwan-alla-versione-v-la-piu-moderna/ on Fri, 09 Feb 2024 08:00:33 +0000.