Parliamentary Committee Passes Draft Bill For F-16V Purchase

The Taiwanese Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee has passed a draft funding bill for the purchase of U.S. fighter aircraft, reports the Taipei Times. The bill would create a special budget to cover the US$8.05 billion cost of purchasing 66 F-16V jets. Taiwan, which has been seeking additional F-16s since the 1990s, received clearance from the U.S. State Dept. to purchase the fighters on Aug. 20. A letter of offer and acceptance with the U.S. is...