F-16 collision avoidance system to go fully operational in 2028: Air Force

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) Installation of an automatic ground collision avoidance system (AGCAS) across Taiwan's F-16V fleet will begin this summer, with all jets expected to be fully equipped with the system before the end of 2028, the Air Force said Monday.

Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Lee Ching-jan (李慶然) made the remarks during a legislative session in Taipei when asked by lawmakers for updates on the AGCAS program for the country's F-16Vs.

Lee said software updates for the system are scheduled to begin in July, followed by hardware upgrades starting in September.

The system is expected to become fully operational by 2028, he added.

The AGCAS upgrade became a topic of public discussion earlier this year after an F-16V fighter jet piloted by Capt. Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅) disappeared off eastern Taiwan in January during a training mission.

Following a months-long search, the Air Force retrieved the flight data recorder (FDR) from the sea in March, though Hsin's body has yet to be found. The FDR was later sent to its manufacturer in the United States for data decoding.

The Air Force later said a computer failure could have caused the F-16V crash.

Since January, lawmakers have been urging the Air Force to expedite installation of the system across the entire F-16V fleet, though the military said the process would take time.

The AGCAS uses data such as aircraft speed, heading and terrain information 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 altitude to prevent a crash.

Commenting on the latest developments in the search for Hsin, Lee told lawmakers Monday that the U.S. manufacturer was still decoding the FDR data.

Meanwhile, during Monday's session, Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Chen Chien-yi (陳建義) told lawmakers that the Army established drone units in northern, central and southern Taiwan in April as part of efforts to strengthen asymmetric warfare capabilities.

The establishment of the drone units came after the Army inaugurated an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Center in January 2025. The center is tasked with providing training in basic drone operations and maintenance, as well as developing instructors, tactics, and research and development capabilities for the armed forces.