Taiwan Grounds F-16 Fleet, Urges U.S. to Fast‑Track Auto‑GCAS Retrofits after F‑16V Loss

The grounding follows an F‑16V disappearance during a night sortie on Jan. 6 where the pilot reported avionics malfunctions before transmissions ceased, triggering an immediate safety stand‑down and retrofit demand.

Taipei is asking Washington to accelerate Auto‑GCAS retrofits, a move that will affect retrofit schedules, contractor workloads and supply‑chain priorities given recent efforts by the U.S. and Lockheed to speed deliveries of F‑16V aircraft to Taiwan.

The request for fast‑tracked equipage sits alongside broader U.S. actions to accelerate F‑16V deliveries and related capabilities to Taiwan, and occurs amid heightened regulatory attention to collision‑avoidance and equipage after recent high‑profile safety incidents and legislative responses in the U.S. (Senate safety measures advancing).