Taiwan hails F-16V delivery as sign US support holds after Xi-Trump summit

Taiwan has hailed the much-delayed arrival of two F-16V fighter jets as a demonstration of continuing US military support, despite the summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.The two single-seat aircraft, which reached Chihhang Air Base in the eastern county of Taitung on Friday, are the first new F-16s received by the island since deliveries of its original F-16A/B fleet began in 1997.Compared with the earlier versions, the F-16V configuration incorporates the Northrop Grumman APG-83 active electronically scanned array radar, updated avionics and improved target detection and tracking capabilities.The pair are part of a NT$247.2 billion (US$7.76 billion) sale of 66 F-16Vs approved by Washington in August 2019, during Trump’s first term.