GOP Lawmakers Call on Pentagon to Resolve Taiwan’s F-16 Shipment Delays

Four upgraded U.S.-made F-16 V fighters during a demonstration at the Chiayi Air Base in southern Taiwan on Nov. 18, 2021. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

Rep. Robert Wittman (R-Va.) and a group of 23 GOP lawmakers called on the Pentagon to resolve the extended delivery delay of F-16 fighters to Taiwan amid Chinese military aggression toward the island.

In a Nov. 16 letter to U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Mr. Wittman, vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and his Republican colleagues raised concerns that the delay of two F-16 fighter jet programs for Taiwan is “high-risk.”

“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is mounting an increasingly aggressive pressure campaign against the island that continues to intensify,” the lawmakers said, adding that they want to work with the Pentagon to ensure that these programs “are not further delayed.”

“Taiwan urgently needs these new and upgraded aircraft, and a stronger, more resilient Taiwan will improve stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the lawmakers warned. “We cannot afford to over-promise and under-deliver to our closest friends.”

The lawmakers requested that Mr. Kendall provide updates on the overall delivery plan by Dec. 18.

According to the letter, the two F-16 programs “constitute $12.7 billion of the total $14.3 billion backlog of military equipment that Taiwan has agreed to purchase from the United States.”

The retrofit program, which provides upgrades to Taiwan’s 141 current F-16 fighter jets, has been delayed nearly three years “due to the lack of availability for key parts.”

Additionally, the delivery of 66 new F-16 aircraft also has been “delayed by over 15 months due to software development complexities.” The new fighters were supposed to be delivered by 2025-2026. But this has been extended to 2026-2027, the letter said.

“These are critical programs to improve Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities in the near-to-mid terms,” said Mr. Wittman.

While the letter praised efforts by the Air Force and Taiwan to improve delivery timelines and shorten delays, the lawmakers said they would “continue to monitor these efforts closely” to resolve these backlogs “and improve the defense of Taiwan.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Department of Defense for comment.

Taiwan Arms Sales

The United States has had no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan since Washington changed its diplomatic recognition in favor of Beijing in 1979. However, the two sides have a robust relationship based on the Taiwan Relations Act, a law that authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for self-defense.

Washington has made multiple arms sales to the democratically governed island in recent years to help it counter the CCP’s military harassment.

In August, the Biden administration decided for the first time to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense through a State Department program typically used to assist sovereign nations. A package of $80 million worth of military equipment was allotted via the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program.

Also in August, the United States approved a $500 million sale of military equipment to Taiwan, including infrared search and track (IRST) systems for F-16 fighter jets.

Last year, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry announced one of the biggest FMS arms deals in recent years when it agreed to buy 100 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 60 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other military equipment from the United States.

In December 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act (TERA) as part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. The TERA authorizes $10 billion in grants and loans to provide military equipment to Taiwan over the next five years to deter CCP aggression.

Beijing repeatedly has urged Washington—Taiwan’s most important arms supplier—to halt the sale of military equipment to the island nation. As retaliation against Washington’s support of Taipei, the CCP has imposed a series of sanctions on U.S. defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin.

The Chinese regime has claimed Taiwan as its own territory to be taken by force if necessary. In recent years, the CCP has aggressively sent military aircraft and naval vessels to areas near the island.

In 2022, Beijing flew a total of 1,737 military aircraft into international airspace near Taiwan, a 79 percent increase from the 972 incursions the previous year, according to the Pentagon’s annual report on China’s military. Data were cited from Taiwan’s defense ministry.

Taiwan, meanwhile, pledged to safeguard its sovereignty and democratic, free way of life.

In a National Day speech last month, President Tsai Ing-wen reiterated that Taiwan seeks “peaceful coexistence“ with China.

Frank Fang and Lorenz Duchamps contributed to this report.