TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The COVID-19 pandemic forced the start of F-16V fighter jet deliveries to Taiwan to be postponed from the fourth quarter of 2023 until the third quarter of 2024, reports said Wednesday (May 3).

However, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said it received news from the United States that the deliveries of the 66 new jets would still be completed in 2026. Lockheed Martin is already assembling the first planes, per the Liberty Times.

The original schedule predicted the delivery of one single-seat and one two-seat F-16V Block 70 before the end of 2023, to be followed by tests. From 2024, the jets will be handed over to Taiwan in batches of four or five.

The postponement issued at suppliers was mentioned in a report submitted by the MND to the Legislative Yuan. Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) is scheduled to present the report and answer questions by lawmakers on Thursday (May 4).

The budget for the 66 F-16V fighters was set at NT$247.2 billion (US$8.05 billion). Taiwan and the U.S. are also cooperating on the upgrading of 140 F-16 jets to F-16V status.