Lawmakers Tear Into F-16 Upgrade Decision

House lawmakers skewered administration officials Tuesday on the decision to sell Lockheed Martin F-16 upgrades to the Taiwanese government, rather than brand-new F-16 C/D aircraft. But the officials indicated the story’s not over. They might be open to selling F-16 C and D aircraft in the future.

“The decision not to sell Taiwan the next generation of F-16 fighters is a decision with grave repercussions,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee during a hearing. “Why must Taiwan depend on rickety old aircraft provided almost 20 years ago by the George Herbert Walker Bush administration to face state-of-the-art Chinese fighters?”

The upgrade deal was part of a $5.85 billion package announced last month. Administration officials including Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and Peter Lavoy, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, stressed that U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan are at or near their peak under the Obama administration.

Rep. Howard Berman (Calif.), the committee’s top Democrat, indicated support for the administration, but says he is wondering when the White House will move forward with the sale of new-model F-16s.

The administration hasn’t closed the door to future sales. “We have not ruled out future aircraft decisions,” Lavoy says. “We understand Taiwan’s interest in F-16 Cs and Ds, and this is under consideration.”

Berman points out that the government and the contractor are at odds on how quickly Lockheed can deliver. The administration has “asserted” twice that Taiwan would receive greater capability more rapidly by purchasing the upgrades rather than the new aircraft. Lockeed, however, says the new F-16 C- and D-model aircraft would be ready two years earlier than the upgrades, according to Berman.

Lavoy, for his part, skirted a direct answer.

“It’s our conviction . . . that upgrading their existing fleet of F-16 A and Bs is the immediate priority,” Lavoy says. “We will make sure we work with the defense contractor to accelerate those upgrades.”

Lockheed F-16 file photo