First F-16V Block 70 jets ferry toward Taiwan after Hawaii stop

Taiwan's Air Force confirmed on 1 October that the first two new-build F-16V Block 70 fighters purchased from the United States are expected to land at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung on the morning of 2 October. Central News Agency reported that the aircraft had departed Hawaii and would arrive the next morning if weather and other operational factors allowed.

Air Force headquarters issued a media notice inviting reporters to Chihhang for arrival coverage, with a morning cancellation warning if the ferry were disrupted. Multiple Taiwanese outlets identified the jets as serial numbers 6727 and 6728, the opening tranche of the 66-aircraft Peace Phoenix Soaring, or Feng Hsiang, Foreign Military Sales package for new Block 70 airframes.

According to same-day reporting, the pair had remained in Hawaii for more than a month after leaving the continental United States, with earlier ferry attempts delayed by weather and technical issues. China Times said spotters in Hawaii saw the aircraft depart toward Guam on the morning of 1 October, with the final inbound leg into Chihhang planned for 2 October.

The programme has been under pressure because new-system integration, production-line relocation, and supply-chain disruption pushed deliveries past the original plan to finish all 66 jets by the end of 2026. Up Media reported that the revised delivery horizon now runs into late 2028, even as the first ferry flight resumes across the Pacific.

Lockheed Martin has been running two production shifts for as long as 20 hours a day to recover output, and US makers have adjusted production sequencing for Taiwan's order, according to the same reporting. Lawmakers and defence officials in Taipei have also pressed Washington over schedule slippage under the government-to-government sales framework that governs the purchase.

Taiwanese officials have said the sales contract does not provide cash penalties for late delivery. Instead, Taipei has sought non-cash remedies such as larger initial spare-parts packs or a longer warranty period, and defence minister Wellington Koo has previously said the United States has shown goodwill while talks continue.

China Times reported that the inbound jets are expected to carry conformal fuel tanks on the ferry into Taiwan. Up Media separately said electronic-bay equipment on early aircraft remains unfinished, with ballast used for balance until later retrofit after final US testing of the new electronic-warfare fit is complete.

Arrival at Chihhang would mark the first physical entry of new-build Block 70 airframes into Taiwan, but not the end of introduction work. Ground inspection, conversion training, software and weapons integration, and a steady flow of later jets from US factories would still be required before the type becomes a mature operational addition to the Air Force fighter force.

Even with those remaining steps, the Air Force confirmation and the Hawaii departure reported on 1 October give the clearest public timeline yet for the delayed first delivery. If the ferry flight completes as planned on 2 October, Taiwan will finally begin accepting the long-awaited Block 70 fleet on home soil after months of Pacific staging delays.

This report was produced through TaiwanDefence’s automated publishing system and includes links to its supporting sources.