Taiwan showcases most advanced fighter jet after China drills | Al Jazeera

Taiwan unveiled its most advanced fighter jet, the missile-equipped F-16V, in a rare nighttime demonstration in the wake of China’s unprecedented military drills around the island.
Chinese forces have staged days of air and sea military drills in the Taiwan Strait this month after visits to the self-governed island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a congressional delegation.

Taipei has carried out its own drills to simulate defence against invasion by China and on Wednesday air force personnel loaded an F-16V fighter with a US-made anti-ship missile in a “combat readiness” exercise at an airbase in eastern Hualien county.

Reporters were shown ground crews demonstrating how they rapidly upload weapons onto F-16s, including Boeing Co’s Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

Six F-16Vs later took off for night reconnaissance and training missions, including two armed with missiles, according to Taiwan’s air force.

“In the face of the threat from Chinese communist forces’ recent military exercises, we have stayed vigilant while establishing the concept of ‘battlefields everywhere and training anytime’ … to ensure national security,” the air force said in a statement.