Taiwan receives first US-made F-16V fighter jets

Taiwan received its first two US-made F-16V fighter jets on Friday. The warplanes are part of an $8 billion deal for 66 F-16Vs approved during US President Donald Trump's first term. According to Investing.com, the deal was agreed in 2019.

The jets, made by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, touched down at Taiwan's air force base in Taitung, on the island's southeast coast. New Straits Times and Hong Kong Free Press reported that the aircraft had been expected in early September after making refuelling stops in Hawaii and Guam, but were delayed, with local media saying they had turned back to Hawaii shortly after taking off for Guam.

Taiwan faces a rising military threat from Beijing, which claims the democratically governed island as its own territory. The delivery comes as Taiwan awaits Washington's approval of a separate $14 billion arms package that Trump paused after Chinese objections, according to New Straits Times and Hong Kong Free Press. Defence Minister Wellington Koo said there would be other new F-16Vs arriving soon, though he did not give details, Investing.com reported.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, New Straits Times, Hong Kong Free Press, Investing.com — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.