Taiwan gets new F-16 amid China threat: Why 50-yr-old jet remains popular

Taiwan is set to receive its first new F-16 fighter jets under a long-delayed US deal, strengthening the island's air power as China continues to expand military activity around Taiwan.The first two of Taiwan's 66 F-16V Block 70 fighters were recently sighted at Lockheed Martin's facility in Fort Worth, Texas, according to FlightGlobal. The aircraft are now preparing for their eventual delivery to Taiwan.The $8 billion deal for the 66 F-16C/D Block 70 fighters was approved by the US in 2019. Delivery has been delayed by several years from the original schedule.Taiwan is already one of the world's major F-16 operators. It bought 150 F-16A/B Block 20 fighters from the US in the 1990s and later chose to upgrade much of that fleet rather than replace all of the ageing aircraft.Under its Phoenix Rising programme, Taiwan upgraded 141 F-16A/B fighters to the F-16V standard.