Republic of China Air Force Receives First F-16 Block 70 Fighters: Are They Already Obsolete?

The Republic of China (RoC) Air Force based on Taiwan has received its first of 66 F-16 Block 70 fourth generation fighters <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/us-may-accelerate-f16-taiwan" target="_blank">ordered</a> in 2019, with U.S. Congressman William Timmons having confirmed the delivery on March 28. RoC Vice Defence Minister Po Horng-huei attended an official delivery ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, which having&nbsp;<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/latest-f16-pentagon-no-want" target="_blank">completed its first F-16s</a> in November 2022 has since continued deliveries for export. According to the Republic of China Ministry of National Defence, all 66 F-16s are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026, with the aircraft intended to replace the troubled French supplied Mirage 2000 fighters which have suffered from<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/french-mirage2000s-crash-prone-loss" target="_blank"> extreme crash rates </a>and obsolescence issues.<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/03/31/article_67ea41cac2afd1_04491620.jpg" title="Ceremony at Greenville For the Delivery of the First F-16 Block 70 to the Republic of China Air Force" > Deliveries of the F-16 Block 70 will provide the RoC Air Force with one of the largest F-16 fleets in the world at over 200 fighters, after 140 F-16A/B aircraft were <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/chinese-squadrons-operate-american-f16s" target="_blank">delivered to the service</a> from the mid-1990s. Although the large majority of F-16s in service around the world today are considered obsolete, the F-16 Block 70 is the most capable variant and boasts an enhanced variant of the F110 engine, the F110-GE-129, as well as a high composite airframe that reduces maintenance needs, and an AN/APG-83 AESA that revolutionises the class’ situational awareness. The AN/APG-83 and advanced new avionics have <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/taiwan-commissions-64-local-f16vs" target="_blank">also been integrated</a> onto the RoC Air Force’s older F-16A/B fighters, bringing them up to a standard referred to as the F-16V. At a time when F-16 operators around the world are phasing the ageing fighter class out of service, the Republic of China remains the only major operator that is expanding its fleet, largely due to an inability to procure more advanced F-35 fifth generation fighters.<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/03/31/article_67ea468984c006_97879184.jpg" title="Republic of China Air Force F-16B with AIM-9 Missiles and External Fuel Tanks">Although the F-16 Block 70 represents a major improvement for the Republic of China Air Force, the aircraft is tremendously outmatched by adversary fighters fielded by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force across the Taiwan Strait, such as the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/new-phase-single-crystal-blade-ws15" target="_blank">J-20 fifth generation fighter</a>. The existence of two Chinese air forces reflects the fact that the country remains officially in a state of civil war, with rival governments in Beijing and Taipei each claiming to be the sole legitimate governments of the Chinese nation. The RoC government in Taipei has negligible international recognition and governs less than 0.5 percent of Chinese territory. Although the United States does not formally recognise the Republic of China, and the George W. Bush and Barak Obama administration administrations previously both turned down requests to supply it with F-16s, the Donald Trump administration allowed for the sale in 2019 after rebuffing efforts by Taipei to procure the more capable F-35 fifth generation fighter. The F-35 is considered the only fighter in the world capable of challenging advanced fighters fielded by the PLA Air Force such as the J-20. The Chinese mainland is currently positioned to begin fielding the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/china-sixth-generation-heavyweight-fighter-fourth-flight" target="_blank">world’s first sixth generation fighters</a> in the early 2030s, after having unveiled two separate designs both under flight testing in December 2024. This will further widen the gap between the two Chinese air forces in favour of the mainland, placing the top fighter units in its fleet technologically two generations ahead of those in the RoC Air Force.&nbsp;