As reported by RepublicWorld on May 22, Taiwan has bolstered its defense capabilities by arming its F-16s with new air-to-air missiles: the Republic Of China Air Force announced that the AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles have been allocated to its F-16 Viper squadrons, which are deployed to respond to PLA’s increasing fly-bys.
In accordance with the scheduled plan, the AIM-9X Block II missiles have been successfully installed on Taiwan’s 64 F-16Vs at the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing in Chiayi, as confirmed by an air force spokesperson mentioned in a South China Morning Post report. This installation aligns with the air force’s combat readiness regulations, which require all standby aircraft monitoring PLA warplanes to be armed with weapons. By incorporating the AIM-9X Block II missiles, the F-16Vs in Taiwan’s fleet at the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing in Chiayi have significantly improved their tracking and precision-strike capabilities.
Moreover, an undisclosed source within the air force disclosed that alongside the AIM-9X missiles, one side of the fighter jets has been equipped with an AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile. The retrofitting of AIM-9X missiles is also currently in progress for the F-16Vs stationed at the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing in Hualien, which is located on the eastern side of the island.