Photos circulating online in recent days showed at least one Taiwan-bound F-16V Block 70 two-seat aircraft during taxi and systems checks at a US airfield, offering the clearest public indication yet that the long-delayed programme had entered a substantive testing phase.
Images of the jet bearing the tail number 6831 taxiing at Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina were first posted over the weekend by US-based aviation photography page Owen’s Aviation Photos. It was accompanied by the caption: “First sighting of the Taiwan F-16 Block 70”.
Additional photos showed that, compared with factory roll-out images released in March, the aircraft had now been fitted with conformal fuel tanks – external tanks sitting along both sides of the upper fuselage.
The front-seat test pilot was seen wearing the new HGU-55/P flight helmet equipped with a Scorpion helmet-mounted display and cueing system.
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Taiwan showcases fighter jets as mainland China’s war games continue following Pelosi visit
Taiwan showcases fighter jets as mainland China’s war games continue following Pelosi visit
A long dorsal pod mounted along the aircraft’s spine was seen to house various electronic warfare and communications antennas – a feature unique to the two-seat variant – with internal space occupied by the dual cockpit systems.
