The F-16 "Fighting Falcon" (known as "Viper" to its operators) is a single-engine multirole fighter. It was initially designed and produced by General Dynamics up until 1993 when the company sold the Fort Worth production line to Lockheed Martin. More than 4,500 F-16s have been produced and more than 2,800 aircraft remain in operation with 25 nations, making the type among the most prolific fighter families in the post-World War II period.
Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's newly-commissioned F-16Vs performed an "elephant walk" at Chiayi Air Base for the first time on Wednesday, to demonstrate the Air Force's capability to launch combat-ready fighters at a moment's notice.
The nation’s first F-16V combat squadron is to be officially commissioned in a ceremony at the Chiayi Air Base on Nov. 18, which is to be presided over by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), a military source said on Thursday.
The F-16Vs are former F-16A/Bs that have been upgraded as part of a program launched by the air force in 2016 to retrofit all of its 141 F-16A/Bs by 2023.
The F-16Vs have been part of a long-term plan initiated by the air force in 2016 to retrofit all of its 141 F-16A/B jets into F-16Vs, which are equipped with advanced avionics, including