DEFENSE/Vice defense minister attends delivery ceremony of Taiwan's 1st F-16 blk70 in U.S.

Taipei, March 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Vice Defense Minister Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) on Friday attended the delivery ceremony of the first F-16 C/D block 70 fighter jet that the country has purchased from the United States.

His presence was revealed in two photographs published that day by Congressman William Timmons on the social media platform X. Taiwan's representative to the United States Alexander Yui (俞大㵢) was also seen in one of the photos attending the event held at Lockheed Martin's production site in Greenville, South Carolina.

"We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan's air defense capabilities," Timmons wrote in his post.

Earlier this month, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) revealed at a legislative hearing that one of Taiwan's vice defense ministers will visit the United States to observe the ceremony, but did not provide further details.

Based on one of Timmons' released pictures, Taiwan's first F-16 C/D block 70 jet that rolled off the production line is a two-seater with the tail number 6831.

It is one of the 66 F-16Vs that Taiwan has purchased from the United States in an arms sale package approved in 2019 during U.S. President Donald Trump's first term in office.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, Taiwan expects to receive all 66 of the latest F-16 fighter jets from the United States by the end of 2026.