TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC) said it has begun an upgrade of the country's fleet of U.S.-manufactured F-16 fighter jets and that the work is expected to be completed within six years. In order to carry out the program locally, the manufacturer of the jets -- Lockheed Martin in the United States -- sent its engineers to Taiwan last year and helped train local personnel at the AIDC on how to perform the upgrades to improve the aircraft's combat capability. The aircraft's avionics and weapons systems will also be replaced, the AIDC said. The U.S. approved a sale of 150 F-16A/B fighters to Taiwan in 1992. The F-16 is one of the three main types of combat aircraft in Taiwan's Air Force.

Source: The China Post January 21, 2017 10:53 UTC