U.S. urged to expedite F-16 collision avoidance system installation

Taipei, Dec. 12 (CNA) Taiwan has asked the United States to expedite work on installing an automatic ground collision avoidance system (AGCAS) across its F-16V (Block 20) fleet, the Air Force said Thursday.

That appeal came after a Taiwanese pilot recently experienced a brief G force-induced loss of consciousness during a routine training mission flying the F-16V (Block 20) fighter, the Air Force said, potentially endangering his life.

The AGCAS uses data such as aircraft speed, heading and terrain to assess the risk of a ground or sea collision and alert the pilot. If the pilot does not respond, the system automatically adjusts the aircraft's attitude and altitude to prevent a crash.

In 2020, the Air Force incorporated the AGCAS into its F-16 upgrade program and said in early 2022 that installation work on Taiwan's F-16V (Block 20) fighters was scheduled to begin in November 2023.

The work, to cover the country's 141 F-16V (Block 20) fighters, was expected to be completed in 2028. The Air Force did not say Thursday how much earlier it hoped the U.S. could finish the AGCAS installations.

Public concern over when the system will be fitted into the Block 20 fleet was heightened because of the incident involving a pilot flying a single-seat F-16V that was disclosed Tuesday.

The 66 F-16V (Block 70) fighters that Taiwan has ordered, however, will come equipped with AGCAS, Major General Chiang Yi-cheng (江義誠) from the Air Force Headquarters said at a news conference on Wednesday.

In response to a CNA query, the Air Force said the AGCAS upgrade involves three components -- software updates, wiring modifications, and flight control computer adjustments -- and does not require a full replacement of the flight control computer.

The Air Force added that the upgrade is part of the Phoenix Rising program, which runs from 2012 to 2028, to bring Taiwan's fleet of F-16 Block 20s to F-16V specs.

It said it has used a dedicated project management mechanism to urge the U.S. to speed up work on retrofitting the F-16V Block 20s with AGCAS.