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| Taiwan Air Force Strengthens F-16V Fighter With New AIM-9X Block II Missiles |
Taipei - The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) or Taiwan Air Force announced that it has strengthened its defense capabilities by arming F-16V fighter jets with the new AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder air-to-air missile.
As per the scheduled plan, the AIM-9X Block II missile was successfully installed on 64 Taiwanese F-16V fighter jets in the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing in Chiayi. By integrating the AIM-9X Block II missile onto the F-16V, the ROCAF has significantly increased their tracking and precision strike capabilities.
An undisclosed source said the ROCAF had also equipped their F-16V fleet with advanced AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles. The modernization of the AIM-9X missiles was also carried out for the F-16Vs stationed at the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing in Hualien which is located on the east side of the island.
In 2016, Taiwan acquired 140 AIM-9X Block II missiles from the US as part of a collaborative upgrade program with Lockheed Martin aimed at upgrading its 141 F-16A/B aircraft. The fighter conversion process is expected to be completed by the end of this year. It is currently reported that the F-16 Squadron in Hualien has received over 40 of the upgraded jets.
In 2019, the United States approved the sale of an additional 66 F-16Vs to Taiwan with deliveries expected to be completed in 2026. Trials on the AIM-9X Block II version began in September 2008. Block II adds post-launch lock-on capability with datalink , so that the missile can be launched first and then pointed at the target.
The missile is launched by an aircraft with advanced equipment, suitable for 360-degree engagement, such as the F-35 or F-22.