An unnamed US official has told Reuters that the US has still not found a way to speed up its delivery of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan.
Taiwan is expected to take delivery of 66 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets at the end of 2026. But Taiwan’s government has reportedly asked the Biden administration to deliver the fighters before this date. That’s because of the increasing number of Chinese incursions into Taiwanese air space that Taiwan’s air force must respond to, and the consequent increase in wear and tear to Taiwan’s existing F-16 fleet.
Once Taiwan receives the 66 new jets, it will have Asia’s largest F-16 fleet, with over 200 of the fighter jets altogether. However, the US will only speed up the delivery timetable for the new jets if US President Joe Biden is convinced that Taiwan’s defense needs are more urgent than those of other US allies.