Taiwan's Air Force expects to finish installing an automatic ground collision avoidance system on its upgraded F-16V fighters by the end of 2028, nearly three years after a fatal training crash drew attention to the delayed safeguard, according to the Defense Ministry's latest report.
The ministry said the United States released a new version of the flight control software in July 2026 for testing by both sides and has begun delivering retrofit kits in batches. In January, the Air Force also wrote to U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, asking him to direct American agencies to speed up the work.
Analog Controls Complicate The Safety Retrofit
The system uses a jet's speed, heading, and terrain data to judge whether it is headed for the ground or sea, warns the pilot, and, if the pilot does not respond, automatically returns the aircraft to a stable attitude and altitude. The Air Force said the Block 20 airframes use analog flight controls, so their flight control computer must first be converted to a hybrid digital-analog unit before the system can be installed. It has been integrating the aircraft and the system in step with U.S. development of that computer. The work falls under the program to upgrade Taiwan's F-16A/Bs to the F-16V standard, known as Peace Phoenix Rising.
Lockheed Martin says the technology, which it developed with the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA, has been in U.S. Air Force service since late 2014. The company cites Air Force statistics showing that controlled flight into terrain, or flying an undamaged aircraft into the ground, accounts for 75% of F-16 pilot fatalities.
Scrutiny intensified after an F-16V crashed into the sea off Hualien County during a night training flight on January 6, according to Defense Mirror. The pilot, Capt. Hsin Po-yi, 29, died. The Control Yuan, Taiwan's government watchdog, said in July that technical challenges remain with the system but that it would not have directly addressed a navigation-system failure. Investigators found repeated navigation malfunctions in the week before the crash, Focus Taiwan reported.
Lawmakers Freeze NT$20 Million Pending A Written Report
The Legislative Yuan froze NT$20 million of the NT$100 million budgeted for the F-16A/B upgrade in 2026. Lawmakers said the schedule and cost remain uncertain because the 2026 plan was reworked to include the collision avoidance system and flight software, while a related missile purchase is still being negotiated with the manufacturer under an interim contract. The money can be released only after the Defense Ministry submits a written report to the legislature's foreign affairs and national defense committee within three months and the committee approves it.
Air Force Presses Washington On Missile Deliveries
The missile in question is the AGM-154C Joint Standoff Weapon, a long-range glide weapon. The Air Force said Washington approved its sale in June 2017 and that it revised the letter of offer and acceptance in May 2020, July 2022, and September 2025 as the U.S. side cited a restarted production line, obsolete parts suppliers, and system integration problems. Completion is now also targeted for the end of 2028.
The Air Force said it has asked the U.S. military to press Raytheon to speed up production and to report progress at program meetings. It will also use monthly phone calls and liaison officers stationed at the factory to monitor both the missile and the collision avoidance work.
