April 4, 2025, 9:05 pm
Lockheed Martin unveiled Taiwan’s first newly built F-16 Block 70 during a rollout ceremony at its Greenville, South Carolina, facility on March 28, 2025. The aircraft, an F-16D which is a two seater variant, with serial number 6831, is the first of 66 F-16 Block 70s ordered in 2019 as part of an $8 billion deal.
These new aircraft will complement the 139 F-16s already in service with the Taiwanese Air Force.
The existing fleet was upgraded from the original F-16 Block 20 Mid-Life Update (MLU) configuration to the F-16V Block 70 standard.
The F-16V reached Final Operational Capability in 2021, with the last upgraded aircraft delivered in 2023.
According to the Taipei Times, the new jets will be assigned to the 7th Tactical Fighter Wing to bolster Taiwan’s eastern defenses.
The publication also reported that during a January 2025 inspection, President William Lai stated that two of the wing’s three tactical groups had been staffed and were awaiting aircraft deliveries.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how F-16 Block 70 provides Taiwan with a means to counter China ?
#defenseupdates #usvschina #taiwanvschina
Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:32 SPONSORSHIP – NordVPN
02:06 THE DEAL
03:17 F-16 BLOCK 70 IS POTENT
06:43 ANALYSIS
Sponsorship:
✴️ https://nordvpn.com/DEFENSE
Content Creator – Defense Updates
