Senior Taiwan defence official to visit US for fighter jet ceremony

A deputy defence minister from Taiwan will travel to the United States this week for a ceremony celebrating the assembly of a new F-16 fighter jet for the island, marking the first confirmed visit of this kind since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office.

In 2019, the United States sanctioned an $8 billion sale of Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan, a transaction that would increase the island’s F-16 fleet to over 200 jets, the largest in Asia, enhancing its defenses amid heightened threats from China, which regards Taiwan as its territory.

Taiwan is upgrading 141 F-16A/B jets to the F-16V model and has procured 66 additional F-16Vs, featuring enhanced avionics, weaponry, and radar systems to effectively counter the Chinese air force, including its stealthy J-20 fighters.

However, Taiwan has expressed concerns about delays for the new F-16Vs, citing that issues include software problems.

During a press conference in Taipei on Wednesday, Chiang Yuan-chi, the director of Taiwan’s air force planning department, announced that the first of the new F-16Vs is set to depart from the factory in South Carolina this week.

He mentioned that a deputy minister of defense from Taiwan would head a delegation to participate in the ceremony, but did not specify the minister’s name or provide further information. Taiwan employs two deputy defense ministers. The F-16 pilots of Taiwan receive their training at Luke Air Force Base located in Arizona.

The Pentagon did not provide a comment when contacted outside of business hours.

In contrast to visits to the United States by high-ranking officials from allies such as Japan and Britain, which are conducted openly, trips by Taiwanese officials, particularly military personnel, are usually discreet and often lack official confirmation.