A US-made F-16 fighter on a runway at an air force base in Taiwan.
Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images
The US intends to soup up Taiwan’s F-16 fighters with some AGM-154 glide bombs.Raytheon Missile Systems received a $68.4 million contract to build 50 glide bombs. The order is expected to be completed in March 2028.
Taiwan’s fleet of F-16s is set for an upgrade when it receives brand-new glide bombs from the US.
The US awarded a $68.4 million contract to Raytheon Missile Systems to build and deliver 50 AGM-154 glide bombs, per a notice from the Department of Defense on Friday.
According to the notice, the AGM-154s will be built primarily in Arizona. The order is expected to be completed in March 2028.
The AGM-154s are known as “fire-and-forget” weapons that do not require external guidance after they are launched.
Besides F-16s, the glide bombs can be installed on a variety of aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet and F-35 Lightning II.
Taiwan has a fleet of 139 F-16s and is set to take delivery of an additional 66 F-16 fighters from the US.
The boosted fighters could help boost Taiwan’s air defenses in the face of China’s aggressive moves in the region.
China sees the island of Taiwan as a renegade province that’s part of its territory.
During last year’s APEC summit, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reportedly told President Joe Biden that China fully intends to take over Taiwan — a move that could result in a hot war in the region.