By Jia Feimao | 2026-06-25

Taiwan's air force is awaiting an infusion of new U.S-made fighter jets.

The island is expected to receive the first of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighters from the United States by the end of September. The full fleet will eventually be based at Chihhang Air Base in eastern Taiwan, joining the air force's existing 139 upgraded F-16V Block 20s to form its most capable fighter force.

Unlike Taiwan's upgraded F-16V Block 20 fleet, the Block 70 is a newly manufactured variant with a more powerful engine, upgraded avionics and electronic warfare systems, and a longer service life.

An F-16V Block 70 bearing tail number 6831, believed to be among the first aircraft in Taiwan's order of 66 fighters, was recently spotted at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Texas. Defense observers say the aircraft is undergoing final testing and preparations before its delivery to Taiwan.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Ting-yu shared photos of the aircraft on Facebook on June 15, citing online reports that placed the jet at the Texas base after a flight from Lockheed Martin's production facility in Greenville, South Carolina.

The DPP holds the presidency but has only a minority in parliament.

Longer range, lower drag

The aircraft has two Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) that together provide about 3,060 lbs. (1,388kg) of additional fuel, according to Lockheed Martin's published specifications. The modification could increase the fighter's combat radius by at least 20%, Taiwan's Liberty Times reported.

CFTs are specially contoured to fit on a plane's upper fuselage.

Analysts say CFTs produce far less drag than conventional external tanks do while extending range and endurance, giving the air force greater operational flexibility in defending the Taiwan Strait.

Traditional external tanks create significant drag that degrades a fighter's maneuverability. Pilots typically jettison them before entering combat to restore full performance, former Taiwanese air force pilot Kao Chih-jung told Focus.

"The CFT ... [lets] the fighter retain its factory-rated turning performance and maximum G-force load," Kao said.

Lockheed Martin flight test data show the CFT produces only about 12% of the drag generated by a conventional external tank.

Based on the aircraft's fuel configuration, Wang estimated its maximum range at about 2,200 nautical miles (4,100km) when fitted with a CFT and three external fuel tanks, "allowing nonstop flights from Taiwan to Guam or a round trip between Taiwan and Beijing."

"The new F-16's strike range is deep enough to reach the Chinese capital region, giving it some deterrent effect against Beijing," Su Tzu-yun, director of the Institute for Strategic and Resource Studies at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told Focus.

More weapons, longer patrols

Fighter aircraft have limited internal fuel capacity that typically allows no more than four hours of endurance. Air forces have long used jettisonable external fuel tanks to extend operational range, Wang Hao-tien, author of the Chinese-language technical monograph "Fighter Jet Design and Operating Principles," said.

However, external fuel tanks occupy underwing hardpoints that could otherwise carry missiles or targeting pods.

The CFT frees those hardpoints to carry heavier or additional missiles, thereby increasing the fighter's firepower, the World Special Forces and Military Database, a Chinese-language military affairs Facebook page, said.

"Future F-16 Block 70s carrying out certain strike missions will not need to sacrifice weapon loads for the range needed to reach target areas," the page said.

Meanwhile, increasingly routine Chinese military "gray zone" operations around Taiwan have forced its air force to scramble fighters more frequently in response. The burden wears down aircraft and increases demands on maintenance and logistics.

Gray zone operations stop short of violence but are meant to exhaust an adversary's security forces.

The CFT allows fighters to remain on station longer during alert missions, reducing the need for repeated takeoffs and refueling, Su said. That feature could help ease maintenance and logistical demands as Taiwan responds to increasingly frequent Chinese military flights around the island, he added.