The Taiwanese air force aims to send 65 officers to the United States for a year for specialised tactical training on F-16V fighter jets.
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The island’s defence ministry revealed the plan in a budget proposal to the legislature last week ahead of the expected delivery of its first US-made F-16V Block 70/72 jets this year.
The training aims to expand the pool of instructor pilots for the fourth-generation warplanes, which Taiwan hopes will bolster its combat fleet as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) intensifies cross-strait activities.
The island has also upgraded its 141 F-16A/B Block 20 jets to F-16Vs, to better match the PLA’s fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighters.
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Taiwan’s military holds live-fire missile drills at sensitive test site
Taiwan’s military holds live-fire missile drills at sensitive test site
The officers will begin their training in January, according to the ministry, which has allocated NT$36.64 million (US$1.2 million) for the activity.
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