US delivers F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan as island eyes threat from China

The United States has delivered two F-16V ⁠Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan as the island seeks to build its defence capabilities to deter a feared attack by China.

The aircraft, built by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, are part of an $8bn deal for 66 F-16Vs approved during President Donald Trump’s first term. They landed on Friday following months of delay due to repeated requests from Beijing to the US to stop arming Taiwan.

The jets, which flew via Hawaii and Guam, touched down at noon (04:00 GMT) local time. They arrived a week after Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.

Taiwan is eyeing a rising military threat from Beijing, ⁠which claims the democratically governed island as its own territory.

“Of course we won’t only have delivered these two [F-16Vs] by the end of the year,” Minister of National Defence Wellington Koo said.

The arrival of the planes comes amid growing concern in Taiwan about the Trump administration’s commitment to arming Taipei.

The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to ‌defend itself, but the two have no formal diplomatic relations.

Trump said in May, after meeting Xi in Beijing, that he was holding out on a new $14bn package for Taiwan, though he did approve one worth $11bn in December 2025.

Washington has said there has been no ‌change in policy.

“We continue standing with friends ‌and allies across the Indo-Pacific to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values — that includes Taiwan,” a US State Department spokesperson said when asked about the delivery.

The F-16Vs, which received an upgrade in 2023, have advanced avionics, weapons and radar systems to better ⁠counter the Chinese air force, including its  J-20 stealth fighters.

However, Washington has been unwilling to provide Taiwan with its most advanced fighters, such as the F-22 or F-35.