Taiwan deploys advanced F-16V fighter jets amid China threat

By HUIZHONG WU and JOHNSON LAI
Associated Press

CHIAYI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has deployed the most advanced version of the F-16 fighter jet in its air force, as the self-ruled island steps up its defense capabilities in the face of continuing threats from China.  Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen commissioned into service 64 upgraded F-16V fighter jets at an air force base. The aircraft represent part of Taiwan’s total 141 F-16 A/B jets, an older model from the 1990s that will be completely retrofitted by the end of 2023. The upgrade project comes at a time the island’s status has become a major point of tension in the U.S.-China relationship. Beijing has been stepping up its threat by sending fighter jets in combat formations into Taiwan’s buffer zone southwest of the island on a regular basis.