The acquisition of these next-level F-16s from the United States will help to give Taiwanese forces a fighting chance in certain engagements with the Chinese military. Whether it will all be worth it remains a question.
At last, the Trump administration can make good on their 2019 agreement with Taiwan to sell F-16 Block 70/72 fourth-generation warplanes for $8 billion. The reason that the planes have been delayed for the last six years was due to the staggering problems with the U.S. defense industrial base.
Specifically, Lockheed Martin, the current producer of the F-16 Fighting Falcons—though they were originally designed by General Dynamics—has grappled with a long-running crisis with its F-16 production line. However, after six years of delays, the first tranche is going forward with deliveries. The first batch of new F-16s was delivered last month; Taipei received 66 of the new F-16 C/D Block 70s. More are expected over time.
Naturally, Beijing, which has known about these planes for years, is fuming. And all of this is happening, of course, against the backdrop of the ongoing trade war with the United States that the Trump administration initiated.
The New F-16s Are Deadlier than Ever
The Block 70/72 is a new-build configuration that integrates the advanced upgrades of the F-16V (for Viper) program into a production model designed for extended service life and enhanced combat effectiveness.
These aircraft are equipped with the AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar derived from technology used in the F-22 and F-35. The AESA provides superior target detection, tracking, and resistance to electronic jamming, enabling the F-16 Block 70/72 to engage multiple targets simultaneously in degraded environments. In fact, the radar’s enhanced resolution also supports advanced air-to-ground missions, including precision strikes with modern munitions.
Lockheed’s F-16 Block 70/72 boasts an extended airframe life of 12,000 hours, which is a significant improvement over earlier F-16 variants. These extended airframes will allow for the birds to serve well into the 2040s. Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) provide an additional capability, giving the F-16 Block 70/72s increased fuel range without sacrificing weapon carrying capacity. An advanced datalink for seamless communication with other platforms, including the F-35 fifth-generation warplane, further enhances their lethality.
The primary distinction between the F-16 Block 70 and the Block 72 lies in the engines. Whereas the Block 70s are powered by the General Electric F110-GE-129s, the Block 72s employ the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229. Both deliver around 29,000 pounds of thrust.
This flexibility is what makes the Block 70/72s so appealing as an export vehicle. That’s because customers can select an engine based on logistical or performance preferences without needing to sacrifice tactical requirements based upon their own military technological infrastructure.
An F-16 Block 70 or 72 bird is an excellent compromise between the older F-16 models and the expenses of an F-35 fifth-generation warplane. They incorporate many of the accoutrements and capabilities of the F-35 while not entirely being of the fifth-generation model. At the same time, they are far more advanced than the older F-16s.
Taiwan Wants the New F-16s for One Reason Only
As for Taiwan’s purchase, it was a response to Taipei’s growing need to modernize its aging air force in the face of growing military pressure from neighboring China.
In recent months, the Chinese military has demonstrated a remarkable ability to surround and terrorize Taiwan with wanton abandon. The balance of military power between China and Taiwan has slowly but surely shifted in China’s favor, as Beijing has assiduously enhanced its own technological profile relative to that of Taipei.
Block 70s have long-range munitions that many defense experts in the West assume will counter whatever numerical advantages that Chinese warplanes currently enjoy over Taiwan. Weapons, such as the AIM-120D AMRAAM enable Taiwan to counter Chinese advantages.
Yet quantity has a quality of its own. And it is not as though China is deploying pea shooters anymore. Their quantity and quality are each great. In the minds of many analysts, a better use of Taiwan’s limited resources would be to prepare their populace for waging the mother of all insurgencies against an invading Chinese army.
Still, Block 70s are more advanced than what Taiwan currently has, meaning that it could help to restore a semblance of balance in the military relationship of China and Taiwan.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) operates numerous (and growing) J-20 Chengdu “Mighty Dragon” fifth-generation stealth warplanes that have already demonstrated an ability to penetrate Taiwanese U.S.-provided air defenses.
Still, the acquisition of these next-level F-16s from the United States will help to give Taiwanese forces a fighting chance in certain engagements with the Chinese military. Whether it will all be worth it remains a question.
We do know, however, that Beijing is very upset over these moves. And, in the context of the ongoing trade war, the delivery of these systems could be a key flashpoint.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
