Taiwan aerospace company plans F-16 maintenance center

Maintenance engineers in Taiwan check an F-16 before takeoff. (Photo/Chen Yi-cheng)

Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development is seeking to build a maintenance center for F-16 jet fighters that can serve the country's air force as well as clients from Southeast Asian countries, a company spokesman said Tuesday.
The state-owned company is seeking to set up the maintenance and overhaul center in conjunction with Lockheed Martin of the US, which manufactures F-16s, said company spokesman Mike Lee. The company is seeking to build the maintenance facility in Taiwan as the country's F-16 fleet is the largest in Asia, he told CNA.
Taiwan's air force has 145 F-16A/B fighters, among the country's major combat fleet.
The company also signed a memorandum of understanding with Lockheed Martin the previous week to pursue joint opportunities in a US$3.8 billion program to retrofit Taiwan's F-16A/B jets. Last September, the Obama administration approved the F-16A/B retrofit program, as well as a training package for Taiwan.

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