With increasingly frequent incursions by Chinese warplanes into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, the pressure is on for Taiwan to upgrade its air combat capabilities. A key step in that process is modernizing the Air Force’s aging fleet of fighter jets.
Taiwan’s 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, which performed highway landing and takeoff training during the Han Kuang military exercise this year, will finally receive 60 F-16V multirole jets on November 18th.
Former deputy commander of Taiwan’s air force Chang Yen-ting says that F-16V are now the most numerous fighter aircraft in the force. They bear the brunt of Taiwan’s air defense responsibilities.
In April 2019, President Tsai inspected 4th Tactical Wing’s Chiayi base, overseeing the first group of F-16s, upgraded to the V standard, enter service. The upgrade program, called Peace Phoenix Rising, has cost around NT$110 billion (US$3.9 billion). Under it, 141 F-16A and B variants will be upgraded to the V standard.
The most important improvements include the AESA radar system, a modernized mission computer, new instruments, and a new head-up display. The aircraft will be capable of deploying air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance, as well as anti-radiation missiles and the latest Sidewinder missiles. This will vastly improve its combat capabilities. The new radar system will give pilots a greater scanning range compared to older doppler radars.
Computer systems on board the new jets will operate faster and more reliably than in previous iterations. This puts F-16Vs in generation 4.5, just behind the latest, 5th generation, which includes planes such as the F-22 and F-35.
The upgrade process has been delayed for more than seven months by an accident in March involving two F-5E jets, as well as by the COVID-19 pandemic. The next phase of the program will involve upgrading the capabilities of F-16s operated by the 5th Tactical Wing in Hualien.