Self-sufficiency is key to Taiwan’s national defense. A new F-16 maintenance center looks to lower defense costs and improve the country’s capabilities.
On Thursday Taiwan opened its long-awaited F-16 Fighter Jet Maintenance Center. The center is a collaboration between F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the Taiwanese company Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation. It's the first authorized repair facility of its kind in Asia.
F-16s are one of the most important vessels in Taiwan’s air force. In the past, the jets had to be sent to the United States to be repaired. Now, Taiwan can produce parts for the jets and repair them domestically, lowering costs and improving the country’s self-defense capabilities.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) says the new center is a result of the deep cooperation between Taiwan and the United States regarding security. She says domestic repair capabilities are key to facing Chinese threats.
The agreement to establish the maintenance center was signed in 2020.
The Economics and Defense Ministries worked together with the air force to help establish the maintenance center. Authorities say the center will become a key part of the F-16 components supply chain, providing parts and repairs to countries around the region.