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Taiwan begins F-16 upgrade program

Taiwan's F-16 fighter fleet has begun an upgrade program.

By Richard Tomkins
Taiwan has begun a program to modernize its fleet of F-16A/B fighters. Photo by Taiwan China air force
Taiwan has begun a program to modernize its fleet of F-16A/B fighters. Photo by Taiwan China air force

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A $3.4 billion Taiwanese program to upgrade its F-16A/B Fighting Falcons got underway this week with the first four aircraft flown to a plant in Taichung.

The retrofitting of the aircraft to a "V" configuration is being performed by Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. in Taichung with Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the aircraft.

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According to the Taipei Times, the four aircraft will complete the upgrade process by the end of this year. About 25 to 28 planes of the air force's F-16A/B fleet will undergo modernization each year until 2023.

Taiwan has a total of 144 Fighting Falcons.

Upgrades under Taiwan's Phoenix Rising Project includes fitting of the aircraft with active electronically scanned array fire-control radar, which enables F-16Vs to detect stealth aircraft.

The Taiwanese fighters are also to be equipped with advanced avionics, including a new flight management system and a helmet-mounted display system.

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