First US-made F-16V delivery in September 'feasible': Defense minister

Taipei, March 23 (CNA) Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said Monday that a September delivery date for the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets Taiwan purchased from the United States is "feasible."

Koo made the remarks when asked by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) during a legislative session when Taiwan could receive its much-delayed F-16Vs.

Koo initially said the first aircraft could be delivered in the third quarter of this year. Pressed further by Lai on whether it could arrive in September, Koo replied: "We estimate that timeline is feasible."

During the same session, another KMT lawmaker, Lin Te-fu (林德福), asked for an update on the program.

Koo said that 59 F-16Vs are currently on the assembly line in the U.S., and that testing takes time. If testing of the first aircraft proceeds smoothly, it could be delivered (flown back to Taiwan) in the third quarter, he said.

Koo's remarks followed a Ministry of National Defense (MND) statement issued Saturday, which said Taiwanese officials were shown the first of the 66 aircraft during a visit to the U.S. last week.

A delegation led by Vice Defense Minister Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin's F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16.

According to the MND, the aircraft will undergo a final acceptance flight in the U.S. before being delivered to Taiwan.

The MND originally said in 2019 when the U.S. first approved the sales that Taiwan would receive its first two F-16Vs before the end of 2023.

The ministry later several times revised the estimate, saying no aircraft would be delivered by the end of 2025 due to manpower shortages and supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

The ministry added that the contractor has since recruited additional workers and increased working hours to accelerate production.