Two F-16 Fighting Falcons fly over the ocean on August 15, 2026. Taiwan has agreed to buy 66 F-16V Vipers from Lockheed Martin for $8 billion, and the first two are currently on their way to the self-ruling Island. (US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Tiffany Emery)

Taiwan’s First Two F-16V Vipers Are on Their Way

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The self-ruling island will also buy 2,000 Altius drones from Anduril to support the F-16Vs.

The first pair of US-made F-16V Viper aircraft will arrive in Taiwan in the coming days. The aircraft—serial numbers 6727 and 6728—departed from Lockheed Martin’s South Carolina facility last week, are being flown by US personnel, and were tracked crossing the Pacific Ocean last week, with stopovers in Hawaii and Guam. The aircraft reportedly flew with US Air Force insignia for the initial part of the journey, but will arrive at Taitung Air Force Base on the country’s eastern coast with Taiwan’s national livery.

The F-16Vs will be used in conversion training and assigned to the Republic of China Air Force’s 7th Tactical Fighter Wing.

The Vipers are the first of 66 F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 70 jets that the US aerospace giant is producing for Taipei as part of an $8 billion Foreign Military Sale (FMS) deal approved by the US State Department in August 2019 during the first Trump administration. The deal was finalized a year later, despite Beijing’s strong opposition, with Chinese officials calling it a severe violation of the One-China principle.

F-16V Viper Specifications

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is already among the most successful fourth-generation fighters, with approximately 3,000 in service across 29 nations. The Block 70 variant, also known as the F-16V Viper, is among the most advanced and capable versions of the Fighting Falcon produced.

Year Introduced: 2023

Length: 49.3 ft (15 m)

Wingspan: 31 ft (9.45 m)

Weight (MTOW): Approximately 48,000 lb (21,772 kg)

Engines: One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 afterburning turbofan

Top Speed: ~1,500 mph (2,414 km/h) / Mach 2.0

Range: ~1,740 nmi (2,000 miles, 3,220 km)

Service Ceiling: ~50,000 ft (15,240 m)

Loadout: Internal six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon; nine hardpoints, including six under wings, two on the wingtips, and one........

© The National Interest