Taiwan to allocate $ 1.4 Billion to new fighter jets.

The Taiwanese government will allocate $ 1.4 billion to buy new fighters next year to strengthen the island’s defense capabilities.

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A Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16A (Picture source: 玄史生)

This funding is part of the $ 16.8 billion defense budget for 2022 approved by the President of Taiwan. The government has not provided specific details about the fighters it plans to acquire, but  some speculations are in favor of  F-16 fighters.

In 2019, the USA  approved an $ 8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan , a deal that would bring the island’s total to more than 200, the world’s largest F-16 fleet. 

Taiwan's plan to upgrade its air defences comes amid increasing Chinese military incursions into its airspace. Beijing regards Taiwan as a part of China awaiting reunification, but the island is self-ruled and is a close ally of the US.