The Republic of China is mastering the latest modification of F-16 fighters. Yesterday, November 18, the President of Taiwan Tsai Ing Wen attended a ceremony at which the full combat readiness of the first squadron equipped with F-16V Viper aircraft was announced.
The ceremony was held at the Chiayi Military Base. The 4th Tactical Fighter Aviation Regiment (TFW) became the first regiment in the Taiwan Air Force to reach the level of full combat readiness. According to unofficial data, 64 F-16 fighters have already been transferred to the Republic of China, upgraded to the Viper level. In addition, Taiwan has requested 66 new-built F-16V fighters from the United States.
The President of Taiwan in the cockpit of the F-16V Viper
Image source: twitter.com/iingwen
The Taiwan Air Force fighter re-equipment program was named Phoenix ("Phoenix") and involves updating the entire fleet of F-16 fighters (141 units according to data for 2021). The program is designed until 2023, the cost of modernization of combat aircraft will be $ 3.46 billion. The Ministry of Defense of Taiwan believes that the F-16 Viper will allow the country's Air Force to resist the newest Chinese J-20 fighters on an equal footing.
Lockheed Martin Corporation claims that today the F-16 Viper is the most high-tech fighter of the fourth generation. The main innovation of the F-16V was the AESA radar system. The manufacturer has equipped the aircraft with the latest APG-83 SABR installation with an active phased array antenna. The new radar makes it possible to detect targets much earlier than the systems of the previous generation. The aircraft is also equipped with a new dashboard and an improved flight task management system. In addition, the performance of the on-board computer has been increased in the new fighter, a radar combat system and an automatic collision avoidance system have been installed in case of loss of consciousness by the pilot.
