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U.S. contractor working to speed up F-16V delivery to Taiwan: Ministry

ROC Central News Agency

11/02/2025 07:50 PM

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) United States personnel tasked with the production of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets purchased by Taiwan are working 20 hours a day to expedite the delivery of the aircraft, but will still miss the deadline, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense.

The ministry made the statement in a report submitted to lawmakers on Sunday, outlining the status of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and noting delays in the delivery of several weapons systems.

Notable among those weapons are 66 F-16 Block 70 (also known as F-16V) jets, AGM-154C missiles, and MK-48 heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes, according to the report.

Taiwan was scheduled to take delivery of all 66 F-16 Block 70 jets by the end of 2026, but that timeline has been pushed back due to production line relocations and disruptions, the report said.

Relevant U.S. personnel are divided into two shifts lasting 20 hours a day to speed up the production of the jets, the report said, adding that Taiwanese personnel will continue monitoring progress in the U.S. to fulfill contractual obligations, it said.

AGM-154C missiles, which cost NT$135.97 billion (US$4.42 billion), were originally slated to be delivered by the end of 2026 but have also been postponed due to supply-chain issues, the report said.

They are now expected to be delivered to Taiwan from 2027-2028, it said.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has purchased 24 MK-48 torpedoes and four dummy torpedoes at a price of NT$5.46 billion, which were originally to be delivered by 2026.

Due to production line disruptions, that timeline has now been deferred to 2026-2028, the report said.

The ministry stressed that relevant Taiwanese and U.S. personnel hold meetings regularly to control the progress of arms production, and payments have been postponed on a number of accounts to protect Taiwan's interests amid delays.

In the report, the ministry noted that progress on the delivery of HIMARS light multiple rocket launchers purchased by Taiwan is "ahead of schedule."

The first shipment of 11 HIMARS was delivered to Taiwan in October last year and commissioned, with the remaining 18 expected to be received in the fourth quarter of 2026, sooner than the original 2027 deadline, the report said.

(By Matt Yu and Sean Lin)

Enditem/AW