U.S. shows goodwill over late delivery of F-16Vs: Taiwan defense chief

Taipei, Sept. 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Tuesday confirmed that the United States has "shown goodwill" over the late delivery of Taipei-ordered F-16V Block 70 fighter jets, saying the two sides are still in talks over the matter.

Koo said the contract signed between Taipei and Washington for the fighters did not include financial penalties for late delivery of the 66 F-16Vs, meaning Taiwan will not receive financial compensation.

There could, however, be more technical support, spare parts and an extended warranty for Taiwan's F-16Vs, the Chinese-language China Times said in a report Tuesday, quoting unnamed military sources.

Koo's remarks on the sidelines of a Legislative Yuan session were in response to the China Times report, which said the U.S. government would help Taipei seek compensation from the jets' manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.

Under the "Peace Phoenix Soaring" project, Taiwan's Air Force spent NT$247.2 billion between 2020 and 2026 to procure 66 new F-16V Block 70 jets from the United States.

The jets were originally scheduled to all be delivered to Taiwan by the end of this year, but the program was delayed by such factors as the relocation and restart of the production line and supply chain disruptions.

Lockheed Martin has since operated two shifts, with production running for up to 20 hours a day to speed up deliveries.

The first two of the 66 F-16Vs Taiwan purchased departed from the U.S. on Aug. 17 (Eastern Time) and are reportedly in Hawaii, where they have yet to depart for Taiwan.

Asked to comment on when the first two F-16Vs will be delivered, Koo told reporters in Taipei that the ministry will make the information public as soon as the delivery date is confirmed.