US Air Force officials and experts have long been concerned the fleet is shrinking and aging as China's grows and advances.

Lieutenant General Sun Li-fang details Taiwan's defense plans against Chinese gray-zone operations and potential naval blockade threats from the PLA.

An unclassified, 10-year plan obtained by Breaking Defense says the Air Force needs 1,558 combat-coded fighters by 2035—about 300 more than today—to meet the President’s Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance.

Academic study concludes US Air Force approach to airpower in East Asia during major war against China would likely fail, with Chinese missiles capable of targeting regional facilities used by American forces.

Taiwan ordered a total of 66 F‑16Vs (Block 70), an improved version of the Lockheed Martin fighter, in 2019 for about $8 billion. They were to be delivered in batches, with the final aircraft originally slated for delivery by the end of 2026. Yet only a single plane has been delivered to date.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force fields over 2,000 combat aircraft, from stealthy J-20 fighters to H-6 bombers. Across the strait, Taiwan is quietly building an army of 3,200 combat drones,

Deliveries of 66 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighters for Taiwan have been delayed again, with the aircraft now unlikely to arrive before late 2026 and possibly extending into 2027.

Although Taiwan’s political leaders have stressed the need for an asymmetric strategy against China, its military planners continue to embrace a conventional one. It is time for a change.

TAIPEI: Taiwan will build a new multi-layered air defence system called "T-Dome" to defend itself against enemy threats and increase defence spending, President Lai Ching-te said on Friday (Oct 10), calling on China to renounce the use of force to seize the island.

Taiwan will build a dome-like air defence system to guard against "hostile threats", President William Lai announced a day after his government warned that China is enhancing its ability to attack the island.

China "absolutely will not" rule out using force over Taiwan, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, striking a much tougher tone than a series of articles in state media this week that pledged benign rule if the island comes over to Beijing.