The Republic of China Ministry of Nationwide Defence has confirmed that it’s looking for compensation from the US and the producer of its new F-16 Block 70 fighters, Lockheed Martin, attributable to repeated supply delays. Air Power officers have indicated that compensation could come within the type of technical assist, spare elements, or prolonged warranties relatively than direct monetary funds. The Ministry signed an settlement to buy 66 F-16 Block 70 fighters beneath an $8.2 billion contract in 2019, with the unique supply schedule calling for all plane to be delivered by the tip of 2026. Solely two plane have been handed over, with each remaining in the US.
Based on Lieutenant Basic Lee Ching-ran, Chief of Employees of the Air Power Command, the primary plane is now anticipated to reach at Republic of China Air Power amenities solely in September 2026, representing a considerable postponement from the unique timeline. Talking earlier than legislators this week, Lee confirmed that Taipei has repeatedly raised the problem with U.S. authorities and has requested help from the U.S. authorities in pursuing compensation from the plane producer. He famous that compensation just isn’t essentially restricted to financial reimbursement and will as an alternative include extra technical companies, spare elements, upkeep assist, or prolonged guarantee protection.
Talking throughout the legislative listening to, Lee noticed: “There are various methods to hunt compensation.” He careworn that the present precedence remained acquiring sensible assist that may enhance long-term operational readiness, relatively than merely receiving money funds. Such compensation packages are comparatively widespread in main defence procurement contracts when vital delays happen, notably when the buying nation incurs extra prices or operational impacts because of postponed deliveries. Further spare elements, engineering assist, software program upgrades, upkeep help, or longer guarantee durations can present higher long-term worth than direct monetary compensation by decreasing lifecycle working prices and enhancing plane availability.
Compensation claims over delayed F-16 deliveries are removed from unprecedented, with Premier Cho Jung-tai having in October 2025 acknowledged that the federal government didn’t rule out “taking authorized motion in opposition to the producer.” He famous, nevertheless, that the deal was executed by way of the U.S. International Navy Gross sales course of which doesn’t present for direct compensation claims. “Solely beneath Direct Business Gross sales might we pursue such claims,” the minister added, noting that plans had been nonetheless underway to request compensation for the delayed supply interval. The deliveries are removed from remoted, with excellent backlogs of undelivered U.S. gear to the Republic of China Armed Forces having in December 2025 reached over $21.45 billion.
The Republic of China Air Power’s procurement of F-16s follows a previous order for 140 F-16A/B Block 20 fighters in 1992, and happens at a time of excessive tensions within the Taiwan Strait and speedy modernisation of the Chinese language Folks’s Liberation Army Air Power. The 2 Chinese language governments have remained in a state of civil battle for over 70 years, with the Folks’s Republic of China having developed a number of forms of fifth technology fighters and at present main the world in sixth technology fighter improvement. The Republic of China Air Power against this has relied on procuring ‘4+ technology’ fighters from the US, making certain that the stability of energy more and more favours its main adversary.
