Taiwan's Arms Race: U. S. Races Against Time to Deliver Fighter Jets

Taiwan is in a hurry to beef up its defenses. The U. S. is trying to speed up the delivery of F-16V fighter jets. These jets were supposed to arrive by the end of 2026. But now, there's a delay. Why? Production line changes and other disruptions are to blame. To fix this, workers are now putting in extra hours. They're working two shifts a day, each lasting 20 hours. That's a lot of overtime! Taiwan is keeping a close eye on things. They want to make sure everything is delivered on time. But that's not all. There's another delay. Advanced glide bombs from Raytheon are also running behind schedule. These bombs were supposed to be delivered by the end of 2026. Now, they're expected to arrive between 2027 and 2028. Supply-chain issues are the reason for this delay. Taiwan is not happy about these delays. They face a growing military threat from China. The U. S. is their main arms supplier. So, these delays are a big deal. Taiwan's defense ministry says all military purchases are carefully monitored. Payments are adjusted based on production progress. This way, Taiwan doesn't pay too much too soon.