Taipei: The new F-16V fighter jets acquired by Taiwan are set to surpass the upgraded F-16A/B jets currently in use by the Air Force in terms of thrust and weapon mounting capacity, as discussed by a defense expert. Shu Hsiao-huang, a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), highlighted the advanced capabilities of the F-16C/D block 70 fighter jets, which are equipped with a General Electric F110 engine.
According to Focus Taiwan, this engine features an afterburning turbofan that produces 29,000 lbs of thrust, significantly more than the 23,000 lbs maximum thrust of the engines in Taiwan's existing F-16 fleet. Shu pointed out that this increased thrust directly translates to enhanced weapon mounting capabilities. His comments came in response to a query from CNA regarding the differences between Taiwan's current F-16 models and the 66 new F-16Vs ordered from the United States, the first of which was recently unveiled at a delivery ceremony at Lockheed Martin's production base in Greenville, South Carolina.
Taiwan's representative to the U.S., Alexander Yui, and Vice Defense Minister Po Horng-huei attended the ceremony, as shown in photographs published by Congressman William Timmons on the social media platform X. Shu noted, based on these photographs, that the new F-16V is a two-seat F-16D model featuring advanced AESA radar, an electronic warfare suite, a US18E ejection seat, and a larger air intake compared to the current models.
The purchase of the 66 F-16Vs was part of an arms sale package approved in 2019 during President Donald Trump's administration. As per the Ministry of National Defense, Taiwan anticipates receiving all 66 of the latest F-16 fighter jets by the end of 2026, with plans to deploy them at the Taitung Air Base in eastern Taiwan.
In addition, Taiwan's Air Force has completed upgrades of its existing 140-plus F-16A/B fleet to the F-16V format in 2023. These upgraded jets now boast advanced avionics, including the APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar, a Helmet Mounted Cueing System, and various flight management and electronic warfare systems.