TSAMTO, November 14. The Taiwanese company Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) is completing the modernization of a fleet of 142 F-16 Block fighters.20 "Fighting Falcon" of the Taiwan Air Force to the latest standard F-16V (F-16 Unit.70/72) "Viper" according to the Peace Phoenix Rising program.
According to Scramble Magazine, on November 10, an upgraded single-seat F-16V with a b.n. 6691 of the Taiwan Air Force made its last test flight, taking off from the runway of the AIDC plant in Taichung. Its modernization program will be completed within a month. According to the schedule, two-seat aircraft with BN 6807 and 6805 will complete test flights and will be transferred to the Taiwan Air Force no later than December 20, 2023.
On the last four F-16Vs (BN 6605, 6607, 6604, 6621), modernization work will be completed by the end of January 2024. These machines were among the first six aircraft that returned from the Luk Air Base (Arizona, USA) to Taiwan in May 2021. After the modernization is completed, these fighters will be delivered in partially disassembled form on BTA C-130H Hercules aircraft to Hualien or Pingtung Air Base (Taiwan) and put into storage. The reason for this decision is currently unknown.
As already reported by TSAMTO, the leadership of Taiwan signed a letter of acceptance of the proposal (LoA) for the modernization of 144 F-16A/B Block fighters.20 "Fighting Falcon" on July 13, 2012.
The initial contract for the modernization of aircraft of the Taiwan Air Force was signed by the US Defense Ministry with Lockheed Martin on October 1, 2012. The cost of the contract was $1.85 billion. The modification program provides for the equipment of APG-83 radar aircraft with an AFAR with electronic scanning (AESA), a 6x8-inch central display, an upgraded on-board computer, GPS navigation system, electronic countermeasures and other equipment and weapons systems.
According to the agreements, Lockheed Martin was to develop an upgrade package, as well as test the first prototypes of modified F-16s. In 2015, Lockheed Martin completed the modernization and testing of the first prototype of the F-16, which belonged to Taiwan.
The modernization of the remaining aircraft for the Taiwan Air Force was carried out directly by AIDC with the assistance of an American corporation.
Practical implementation of the Peace Phoenix Rising modernization program worth $3.7 billion (110 billion Taiwan dollars) began AIDC in cooperation with Lockheed Martin in 2016 and, as reported at the time, should be completed by the end of 2023. Initially, the planned number of upgraded F-16A/B decreased due to aircraft losses in disasters. So, in recent years, three F-16s have been lost: one in January 2016 in the United States, two more in June 2018 and November 2020.
AIDC handed over the first F-16A fighter upgraded to the F-16V version to the Taiwan Air Force Command in October 2018. The first 42 F-16V fighters entered service at the Chiayi Air Base of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing of the Taiwan Air Force in May 2021. The wing consists of three tactical fighter groups: the 21st, 22nd and 23rd.
Taiwan also ordered 66 new F-16V Block-70/72 fighters from the United States, the delivery of which was supposed to begin in 2023, but postponed to 2024. They will be part of the 7th Fighter Wing stationed at the Chihan Air Base in Taitung in southeastern Taiwan. According to the report of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Legislative Yuan, a new hangar, warehouse and auxiliary facilities will also be built on this base by 2026.