Taiwan's air force held a readiness drill at Chiayi air base to demonstrate rapid rearming, refuelling and relaunch of F-16V fighters, including loading AIM-9M and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles. The exercise reflects a shift to combat-realistic training under President Lai Ching-te's defence modernisation programme and was the first public drill since China's late-December war games around the island. Officials said frequent scrambles both sharpen pilots' operational experience and ensure rapid response capability.
Taiwan Showcases Rapid F-16 Turnaround in Combat-Ready Drill Amid China Tensions
Air Force ground crew scramble toward a F-16 fighter jet during an annual military exercise ahead of Lunar New Year in Chiayi, Taiwan, January 27, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang
CHIAYI, Taiwan, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan's air force on Wednesday demonstrated how quickly it can rearm, refuel and relaunch its most advanced F-16 fighters during a readiness drill designed to showcase combat-focused training.
Fast Turnaround At Chiayi Air Base
At the Chiayi air base in southern Taiwan, ground crews loaded a U.S.-made AIM-9M Sidewinder and an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile onto a Lockheed Martin F-16V, preparing the jet to return to flight almost immediately. The exercise emphasised rapid ammunition resupply and quick refuelling procedures to minimise ground time.
"This ensures that, in the shortest possible time, the aircraft can complete ammunition resupply and refuelling and quickly go out on the attack," weapons loading officer Wu Bo-jhih told reporters.
Why The Drills Matter
The air force scrambles almost daily to track and warn off Chinese aircraft that routinely operate near the island. Taipei says those incursions are part of a sustained harassment campaign intended to test and wear down Taiwan's smaller forces and apply political pressure.
Pilot Shih Shun-de said the public demonstration was important to show how fast the air force can react. "The scramble drill lets the public see the results of the air force's realistic, combat-oriented training," he said.
Under President Lai Ching-te's defence modernisation programme, Taiwan has shifted toward more realistic, combat-oriented exercises rather than staged displays. Lai, speaking at a promotion ceremony for senior officers in Taipei, said military training must be more practical, flexible and closer to real combat.
"At the same time, we must develop a range of enemy-defeating strategies with agility, using technology and artificial intelligence to build a defence force that is effective, credible and modernised," Lai said.
The public drills at Chiayi were the first shown to media since China conducted a recent series of war games around the island in late December. Frequent scramble responses give Taiwan's pilots valuable operational experience and the chance to observe the People's Republic of China's air force and tactics at close range.
During the height of the Cold War the two sides sometimes engaged in dogfights over the Taiwan Strait, though no combat shots have been fired between them in decades.
(Reporting by Yi-Chin Lee and Ann Wang; Writing and additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
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