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MILITARYOct 2Taiwan receives first F-16V fighter planes made by USTAITUNG, Taiwan — Taiwan received its first F-16V fighter jets made by the United States on Friday as the democratic island upgrades its military capabilities to deter a potential Chinese attack. The warplanes are part of an $8-billion deal for 66 F-16Vs approved during US President Donald Trump’s first term and scheduled for delivery this year. The arrival of the aircraft comes as Taiwan awaits Washington’s approval of a separate $14-billion arms package that Trump paused after Chinese objections. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it. The two F-16Vs, made by US defense contractor Lockheed Martin, touched down under a clear sky at Taiwan’s air force base in Taitung, on the island’s southeastern coast. Leader Lai Ching-te hailed “a major milestone in elevating Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” and thanked the US for its “longstanding support.” The jets had been expected in early September after making refueling stops in Hawaii and Guam. Local media reported that the planes had turned back to Hawaii shortly after taking off for Guam. No official explanation was given. Dozens of locals, some equipped with binoculars and long-lensed cameras, gathered near the air base’s perimeter fence on Friday to watch the highly anticipated arrival of the jets. Kimi Chi, a salesman from the central city of Taichung, had traveled through the night to be able to photograph the aircraft landing in Taitung. He was philosophical about the delays, saying “good things take time.” “In terms of hardware capabilities, there will definitely be an improvement,” the 37-year-old told Agence France-Presse (AFP). “But what we are actually lacking the most right now is pilots. Of course, I hope the government can provide better additional allowances for these military pilots,” he said. Former Air Force serviceman Eric Chan, 57, marveled at the improvements made to the F-16 over the past 30 years and said the fighter jets based in Taitung will “play a very important defensive role” against China. “The threat from the CCP has always been there so we definitely need to strengthen our defense capabilities,” Chan told AFP, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. The F-16V is a fourth-generation multirole fighter and a significantly upgraded version of Taiwan’s aging F-16 A/B jets. Equipped with more advanced combat, detection and engine capabilities, the F-16V will be “a valuable addition to Taiwan’s air force in countering China’s military threat,” said Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research. ‘Negotiating chip’ The US is Taiwan’s most important security backer and biggest arms supplier. But bottlenecks have slowed delivery of critical weapons. Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo said previously it would be “challenging” for all the F-16Vs to be delivered this year, despite Lockheed Martin ramping up production. On Friday, Koo said more F-16Vs would be delivered to Taiwan “before the end of the year,” but did not say how many. “At present, I think aircraft are gradually moving through the production line, and there are also aircraft that have passed the tests,” Koo said. “As for when they will fly back, we will coordinate further with the US side.” Trump has stalled signing off on the record $14-billion weapons purchase by Taipei, calling it in May a “very good negotiating chip” in dealings with China, which raised fears that Taiwan’s security could be traded away. Experts believe approval for the package is unlikely before the Group of 20 summit in the US in December, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump are expected to meet for the fourth time this year. A US official said recently it was increasingly likely the $14-billion worth of arms, which include the Patriot air defense system, would be broken up into smaller amounts to temper China’s response.manilatimes · philippines
MILITARYOct 2Taiwan’s first two F-16V fighter jets arrive to bolster defenses against ChinaThe first two of a batch of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered in 2019 arrived in Taiwan on Friday after months of delays.Defense News
MILITARYOct 2Taiwan’s New F-16s: Why They Still MatterThe Republic of China Air Force waited 20 years for these aircraft. What are they for?The Diplomat
MILITARYOct 2China’s PLA sets up new military academy colleges for AI, drones and disciplineChina has set up several new institutions at military academies to train specialists in hi-tech and discipline inspection as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) works towards its centennial modernisation goals. The College of Unmanned and Intelligent Engineering, the College of Combat Support NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers) and the College of Equipment Support NCOs were established within the PLA Army Engineering University on Wednesday. On the same day, the National Defence University (NDU),...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 2Taiwan first new F - 16V fighter jets arrive to bolster defences against Chinatert.am · Armenia
MILITARYOct 2Taiwan hails F-16V delivery as sign US support holds after Xi-Trump summitTaiwan has hailed the much-delayed arrival of two F-16V fighter jets as a demonstration of continuing US military support, despite the summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. The two single-seat aircraft, which reached Chihhang Air Base in the eastern county of Taitung on Friday, are the first new F-16s received by the island since deliveries of its original F-16A/B fleet began in 1997. Compared with the earlier versions, the F-16V configuration incorporates the...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 2US delivers F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan as island eyes threat from ChinaAmid threats from China, Taipai is growing concerned about the Trump administration's commitment to arming the island.Al Jazeera [en]
MILITARYOct 2Ukraine seeks Japan's cooperation on drone interception technologyUkraine wants to cooperate with Japan on developing drone interception technology and other areas as Russia's attacks continue, a former Japanese defense minister said after talks with President…Japan Today
MILITARYOct 2Taiwan: first new F-16V fighters arrive amid China threatThe US-made jets, part of an order made in 2019, touched down as concerns grow in Taiwan that support from the United States could be wavering. Washington insists its policy towards Taiwan and China hasn't changed.DW News [en]
MILITARYOct 2First new F-16V fighter jets to arrive in Taiwan to bolster defenses against ChinaThe first two of a batch of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered in 2019 arrived in Taiwan ‌on Friday after months of delays, helping to…Japan Today
MILITARYOct 2Taiwan receives its first two US-made F-16V fighter jetsLa isla asiática recibió sus primeros cazas F-16V, parte de un acuerdo millonario con EE.UU., para fortalecer su defensa ante amenazas externas.El arribo de estas aeronaves coincide con la espera de otro paquete armamentístico, mientras la tensión con el gigante asiático persiste.Clarín
MILITARYOct 2China deploys WZ-7 drone, flat dispute in Abby Choi trial: SCMP’s 7 highlightsWe have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese commercial reactor achieves nuclear fusion with clean hydrogen-boron fuel In a first, a Chinese company has achieved high-parameter hydrogen-boron plasma control, marking a “significant and valuable” advance in research into...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 1Cotton Calls For Military Supply Chain Security Review After F - 35 Parts Diverted To Hong KongA senator has requested a military supply chain security review following reports that F-35 parts were diverted to Hong Kong. This incident raises national security concerns regarding sensitive defense technology.zerohedge.com · United States
MILITARYOct 1Satellite images reveal Chinese expansion of submarine baseSatellite images have revealed the expansion of a Chinese submarine base. This indicates an ongoing military build-up and could have implications for regional security.defensenews.com · United States
MILITARYOct 1‘No beardos, no weirdos’: Hegseth deepens Pentagon purge as China channels reopenAs Beijing and Washington take tentative steps to keep a military crisis from erupting, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is reshaping the top ranks of the American military while facing questions about his own future at the Pentagon. Hegseth told junior officers and sergeants on Wednesday that the military had already cut its generals and admirals by 10 per cent and planned to cut another 10 per cent. He called the 20 per cent reduction the bare minimum, dismissing critics who called the...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 1US says F-47 will be first sixth-gen jet. China’s J-36 and J-50 are already flyingWashington is “not too far away” from a production line for its F-47 sixth-generation fighter, a senior US Air Force official has said, as China presses ahead with flight-testing two different next-generation combat aircraft of its own. During a virtual event hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on Monday, Brigadier General Timothy Helfrich, the service’s portfolio acquisition executive for fighters and advanced aircraft, said the F-47 would be “the world’s first...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 1Why Japan is looking to Ukraine’s front lines to overhaul its defencesJapan is increasingly tapping into Ukraine’s war experience against Russia as a valuable source of intelligence on military technologies that could strengthen its defensive and offensive capabilities. A visit to Kyiv this week by senior ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker and former Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera demonstrates this interest, analysts say, against the backdrop of Tokyo’s mounting regional security concerns. Onodera arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday to...South China Morning Post
MILITARYOct 1China carves new military presence in Southeast Asian neighbourasiaone.com · Singapore
MILITARYSep 30China opens training center with Laos, marking third overseas military baseSatellite imagery shows the new facility is built in part on a purported old US airstrip used during the Vietnam War.Breaking Defense
MILITARYSep 30Chinese researchers say missile lidar model can spot US F-35 at up to 61.5kmA computer simulation developed by Chinese researchers suggests that a missile-borne system with the latest light detection and ranging system, or lidar, could detect and track an F-35 stealth fighter at up to 61.5km (38 miles) at night. The theoretical model developed by a leading Chinese air force missile supplier says that under ideal conditions, the claimed range could have implications for the F-35’s ability to survive while facing China’s stealth fighters. But one analyst is sceptical that...South China Morning Post
MILITARYSep 30Rated Ready is Not Ready: What America’s Korea Exercises Actually Measure“We want to stop the North Koreans as far from Pusan as we can. Block the main road as far north as possible. Contact General Church. If you can’t locate him, go to Taejon and beyond if you can. Sorry I can’t give you more information. That’s all I’ve got. Good luck to you, and God bless you and your men.” -Maj. Gen. William F. Dean, orders to Lt. Col. Charles B. Smith, July 1, 1950, four days before Task Force Smith was overrun at Osan.The battery I served in at Camp Casey, South Korea, the 333rd Field Artillery Target The post Rated Ready is Not Ready: WhaWar on the Rocks
MILITARYSep 30Seoul suspects Zelenskyy revealed North Korean POW transfer to win arms supportSeoul suspects that Zelenskyy disclosed a North Korean prisoner of war transfer to gain support for arms. This implies international intelligence concerns and strategic moves related to military aid.euronews.com · United States
MILITARYSep 30S . Korean Military Demands N . Korean Apology over DMZ Mine Explosionsworld.kbs.co.kr · South Korea
MILITARYSep 30Taiwan plans US$850 million ammunition spend to prepare for potential PLA blockadeSouth China Morning Post
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