The AGM-154C Joint Offensive Weapon (JSOW) glide bomb that our country purchased from the US military is the JSOW C type BLK3, which is a generation older than the BLK2 currently in service in the US military. (AFP file photo)
[Reporter Luo Tianbin/Reporting from Taipei] The much-anticipated first batch of two new F-16 BLK70 fighter jets will fly to Taitung Zhihang Base this morning (2nd) and officially join the Air Force. Not only have the airframe and radar performance of these new fighters been greatly upgraded, but the various types of powerful missiles they are equipped with have also become the focus of the audience. However, according to the latest inventory of the military and defense experts, among the four core supporting missiles for this package, there are currently "3 missing 1" status, and not all have arrived. Among them, the ground-attack weapon that has attracted the most attention is facing the challenge of delays in the US production line.
Defense experts pointed out that the weapon system configured by the United States for the F-16 BLK70 this time is very comprehensive, mainly covering four major items. The first is the AIM-120C-8 medium-range air-to-air missile responsible for long-range air combat. A total of 200 missiles have been purchased. Because they have the latest high-performance chips and anti-jamming algorithms, they are currently being shipped in batches. They will be the absolute main force for Taiwan to maintain air control over the Strait in the future. The second model is the AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile responsible for close-range dogfights. The first batch of this missile with the ability to launch off-axis at a large angle has been synchronized with the new aircraft. As long as the pilot cooperates with the joint helmet sighting system, it can achieve the powerful power of "hitting wherever you see."
The F-16V BLK70 fighter aircraft number 6727 will fly to Taitung Zhihang Base today. The picture shows the scene of flying in the United States (file photo, taken by Jake Woodward)
As for the ground attack and suppressive air defense, the third model is the AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missile, which is specially designed to destroy enemy ground and ship-based radars. This equipment has been fully deployed and can effectively paralyze the air defense network on the other side. However, the most regrettable thing is the fourth and most powerful of this batch of weapons, the AGM-154C Joint Offensive Weapon (JSOW) glide bomb with long-range remote attack capabilities. This ground-attack precision weapon, known as a source-strike weapon, is currently "confirmed to have not arrived" due to delays in the US production line. It is estimated that delivery to Taiwan will be delayed until 2027 to 2028 at the earliest.
Although the main anti-aircraft missiles and anti-radar missiles have been put in place in batches, giving the two newly landed fighters basic immediate combat capabilities, the key long-range ground attack weapons failed to arrive in Taiwan at the same time, which inevitably compromised the new aircraft's initial combat capabilities. There are still 64 new aircraft and a huge amount of ammunition that need to be received in the future. How to urge the US software, hardware and supporting ammunition to be "synchronized" will be the top priority for the Ministry of National Defense to step up its inventory and strive for.
