TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has signed two contracts with the United States worth a total of NT$2.56 billion (US$85.32 million) to secure the maintenance of its F-16 fighter jets, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday (Feb. 8).

The program to upgrade the 140 F-16A/B jets to F-16V status was scheduled to be completed this year, but in order to safeguard the effectiveness of the aircraft, the two sides concluded a new agreement allowing U.S. technical staff to be stationed at the Rende Air Force Base in Tainan City, the Liberty Times reported.

The Air Force entrusted Taiwan’s military mission in the U.S. to sign two contracts with the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), one a technical support project worth NT$1.47 billion, and the other a plan to lengthen the life of the jets, with a price tag of NT$1.08 billion.

In addition to the upgrade program, the delivery of AGM154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) glide bombs incurred delays and will not be completed until 2026, according to the Liberty Times report.

The contracts announced Wednesday were part of a list of projects covering maintenance, parts, and repair deals signed between the two countries over the past year, as Taiwan seeks to update its defense capabilities amid aggressive Chinese actions, including the frequent sending of military aircraft and ships into Taiwan's air defense identification zone.