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BackF-16 fighter jets bound for Taiwan delayed again at Pearl Harbor-Hickam
F-16 fighter jets bound for Taiwan delayed again at Pearl Harbor-Hickam
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SCMP Economy46 minutes agoDefense1 min readChina

F-16 fighter jets bound for Taiwan delayed again at Pearl Harbor-Hickam

f-16taiwanpearl harbor-hickam

Quick Look

Two F-16C fighter jets destined for Taiwan were spotted preparing to depart Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam but returned to the apron, marking another delay in their long-awaited delivery after arriving in Hawaii on August 21, with no official explanation from U.S. or Taiwanese authorities.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The F-16Cs departed the continental United States with aerial refueling support from US Air Force KC-135 tankers and arrived in Hawaii on August 21, with plans to continue to Guam before the final leg to Taiwan.

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The aircraft, which were expected to arrive at Taiwan’s Chihhang Air Base in late August, were spotted preparing for departure at Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam on Monday, raising expectations that the fighters were finally about to resume their journey.

But the two single-seat F-16Cs, numbered 6727 and 6728, apparently did not leave Hawaii, with witnesses saying they taxied towards the runway before returning to the apron.

It was the latest twist in the long-awaited delivery of the aircraft, which arrived in Hawaii on August 21 after leaving the continental United States with aerial refuelling support from US Air Force KC-135 tankers.

The pair had been expected to continue to Guam after refuelling and servicing before making the final leg to Taiwan. Instead, they have remained at Hickam, with reports suggesting an earlier attempt to leave Hawaii was also aborted.

Neither the US side nor Taiwan’s air force has publicly explained why the aircraft have been held up for so long, fuelling speculation among military and aviation enthusiasts that technical problems may have emerged.

Open Questions

  • What is the specific reason for the delay in the F-16 delivery?
  • Are technical problems responsible for the aborted departure attempts?
  • When will the aircraft resume their journey to Taiwan?
  • Have U.S. or Taiwanese officials provided any internal explanation for the hold-up?

Related Topics

f-16
OrganizationsUS Air ForceTaiwan's air force
PlacesJoint Base Pearl Harbor-HickamTaiwanChihhang Air BaseGuam
Topicstaiwanpearl harbor-hickamus air forcemilitary deliveryaugust 21technical delay
This article was originally published by SCMP Economy.

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