World Most Delayed Fighter Delivery Faces Uncertain Future as U.S. Postpones F-16 Transfer to China

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

September-29th-2026

F-16D

The Republic of China Minister of National Defence Wellington Koo has confirmed that there are no financial penalty provisions attached to the delayed delivery of 66 F-16 Block 70 fighters ordered in 2019, while stating that Taipei and Washington are discussing compensation measures for the delays. Koo said the F-16 transfer has reached the stage at which some of the aircraft are ready for delivery, with preparations for accepting the fighters proceeding according to the schedule established by the U.S. program office. He said the schedule for the aircraft’s ferry flight to bases on Taiwan Island will be announced once it has been confirmed.

Republic of China Air Force F-16 Block 70 Fighter in the United States

In early September the first two F-16 Block 70 fighters were forced to turn back to Hawaii shortly after taking off for the next stage of their first journey across the Pacific, introducing another delay into a long-troubled delivery to equip the Republic of China Air Force. The two single-seat aircraft, bearing serial numbers 6727 and 6728, departed Hickam Field in Hawaii on September 7 but reportedly returned to the base shortly after takeoff. The reason for the aborted flight remains unclear, with unconfirmed reports having indicated that one of the aircraft suffered technical difficulties after takeoff.

Republic of China Air Force F-16A/B Block 20 Fighters Acquired in the 1990s

The Republic of China Ministry of National Defence in July confirmed that it was seeking compensation from the United States and the manufacturer of its new fighters Lockheed Martin. Regarding compensation for the delayed deliveries, Minister Koo said the Air Force and the U.S. side are currently conducting discussions. He emphasised that the arms sale itself does not contain financial penalty provisions, but said the United States has demonstrated goodwill regarding compensation and that Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense will coordinate the matter. He added that concrete compensation measures are expected to be established following the ongoing discussions, with details to be announced once an agreement has been reached.

Republic of China Air Force French-Origin Mirage 2000 Fighter - These Ageing Fighters Will Be Replaced by New F-16s

A U.S. Congressional report previously stated that the 66 aircraft were originally intended for delivery during 2025–2026, although with none yet delivered, the possibility has been raised that the last of the aircraft may only enter service in the 2030s. The Republic of China Ministry of National Defense previously attributed some of the difficulty to the fact that the Block 70 configuration being produced for Taiwan incorporates a new combination of systems requiring extensive flight testing and calibration. In March, the ministry said 59 of the 66 aircraft were already undergoing assembly or modification and that there were no major shortages of materials or personnel on the production line.

Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force J-20S Fifth Generation Air Superiority Fighter - Weibo

Compensation claims over delayed F-16 deliveries are far from unprecedented, with Premier Cho Jung-tai having in October 2025 stated that the government did not rule out “taking legal action against the manufacturer.” The deliveries are far from isolated, with outstanding backlogs of undelivered U.S. equipment to the Republic of China Armed Forces having in December 2025 reached over $21.45 billion. The Taiwan-based Republic of China relies heavily on U.S. defence supplies for its ongoing state of civil war with the mainland-based People’s Republic of China remain, with both claiming to be the sole legitimate Chinese governments. The People’s Republic has developed multiple types of fifth generation fighters and currently leading the world in sixth generation fighter development, compared to which the ageing fourth generation F-16 has long since been considered obsolete.

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Trump may well be playing Taiwan out - not to be unexpected.

DAP leaders: Declassify Pardons Board meeting minutes on Najib house arrest

DAP leaders: Declassify Pardons Board meeting minutes on Najib house arrest

Published: Sep 29, 2026 4:36 PM


Former DAP lawmaker Tony Pua has urged the government to declassify the minutes of the Pardons Board meetings to clarify the ministers' true stance on opposing a second pardon for Najib Abdul Razak, which would dispel external doubts that the coalition government made secret compromises.

Pua (above, left) also threw his support behind DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke's decision to relinquish his post as transport minister as a gesture of accountability - something the latter had voiced to him privately in March this year, when rumours of Najib's pardon first surfaced.

This comes amid criticism of DAP and Pakatan Harapan for their perceived failure to stop Najib from getting clemency. DAP and Harapan have been trying to shift responsibility by arguing that board decisions are the sole prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by DAP national vice-chairperson Teo Nie Ching, Pua pointed out that only by declassifying the board meeting minutes and making them public can the truth be restored, proving that Harapan ministers did not pave the way for Najib within the system.


"This is so everyone can see who actually made the decision to release Najib or place him under house arrest."

Pua stated that DAP and Harapan's stance as a whole has always been clear: individuals involved in corruption must serve their full sentences. He added that their government representatives also expressed opposition during the Pardons Board meetings.


Teo (above) backed the same demand, explaining that since board meeting minutes are bound by the Official Secrets Act (OSA), ministers are legally unable to disclose meeting details to the public, leading to public suspicion and even the misconception that the government is putting on a show behind closed doors.

"If you want to verify what the attorney-general's stance was in the meeting, or what (DAP deputy secretary-general) Hannah Yeoh's stance was... the best way is to declassify the meeting minutes and lay them out in the open.


"People won't need to harbour doubts or guess whether the government or Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had a different stance during the meeting."

Not an impulsive decision

Touching on Loke's resignation, Pua revealed that the move was not an impulsive one, but something the former had considered well in advance.


Pua recalled that as early as March this year, when rumours were circulating that Najib might receive a pardon or serve house arrest, Loke had already gotten wind of the news and specifically invited him to dinner to discuss strategies and public sentiment.

"When he (Loke) spoke to me about it, it was already March this year. So frankly, the rumour that Najib might be released to stay at home was already circulating. By then, Loke had received the news."


Pua (above) revealed that during the dinner, Loke evaluated various political options, including resigning in protest. The former MP noted that back then, he opined that the entire cabinet, not just Loke, should quit, as it would look awkward otherwise.

However, he added that as the situation has evolved and Harapan government representatives explicitly expressed their opposition within the Pardons Board, circumstances have shifted considerably.

Measured yet powerful

Pua further revealed that after the Pardons Board announced its decision, the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) held an intense debate during a recent meeting over whether Loke should resign alone to take responsibility, or if all five ministers and seven deputy ministers should resign en masse in protest.

Pua admitted that he originally advocated "if we resign, everyone resigns," but the party ultimately considered the bigger picture and political realities.

"If everyone resigned, frankly, a general election would happen next month, which plays right into Umno's hands. They want Parliament dissolved quickly so they can form a new government under current conditions and make (Umno president) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi the prime minister. That would be walking straight into the opponent's trap."

Teo chimed in, saying that having the secretary-general resign alone is a measured yet powerful political statement. This way, DAP ministers still retain a certain level of influence within the cabinet, demonstrating that the party has not given up on the reform process.

She added that this move sends a clear warning to Anwar, proving that principled DAP ministers are prepared to step down, while also ensuring the party retains governance influence in the government to prevent their cabinet positions from falling to others.

Resignation 'a first step'

Pua believes that Loke's (below) resignation is not a compromise, but the "first step" in pressuring Anwar to advance reforms.


"What the public wants to see is action. I hope Loke's resignation applies pressure on the prime minister to intensify institutional reforms while ensuring government stability.

"Loke's resignation is the first step. If after the most heavyweight party leader resigns, the government still fails to respect the people's demand for reform, then there is no point in other ministers remaining in government."

Pua also pointed out that stepping down from his cabinet post frees Loke from the constraints of "collective cabinet responsibility," allowing him to take a firmer stance outside the system to represent public sentiment and oversee the administration.

"He is no longer a minister and no longer shackled. Outside, he can freely bang the table and explain the real situation to the public."

No statutory law for house arrest

In the podcast, both Pua and Teo questioned the legal validity of the board's decision, with the former pointing out that Malaysia has no statutory law for house arrest.

"The board has the power to pardon Najib or reduce his sentence, but does it have the authority to change the punishment from prison to staying at home? Even if there were precedents in the past, if it is legally wrong, doing it before does not make it legal now."

Teo added that if DAP were to file a court challenge on the pardon against the king's prerogative, political opponents could easily hype it up into a racial conflict.

She believed it would be more appropriate for neutral professional bodies, such as the Malaysian Bar, to pursue judicial review to keep the discussion strictly focused on constitutional and legal grounds.


Both leaders also raised doubts about Umno's fundraising to pay Najib's (above) fine, with Teo saying that Najib previously declared in court proceedings that his personal assets were less than RM5 million, and that he still owes the Inland Revenue Board nearly RM1.7 billion.

Pua bluntly stated that public fundraising is merely a political tactic to disguise the source of funds and generate grassroots support, and that Najib will ultimately find a way to pay the full fine to secure house arrest.

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Eeejiiits - declassify Pardon Board members just to "clear" one DAP sweetie on the Board? No respect for the King nor privacy protocols?

Was FAIRFORD the most embarrassing false flag of all time?

From the FB page of:

Council Estate Media

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For the past few months, we’ve been told by people with a crystal ball that an attack on UK soil was imminent, and now it’s finally happened. There was an incident at RAF Fairford last night that resulted in 85 homes being evacuated. The media would like you to know this incident was terrifying. So terrifying, in fact, that you should probably get ready for war.

This is an emerging story, but here’s what I’ve managed to piece together so far. Given the media seems to be making this up as it goes along, some of the details are probably gonna change. Needless to say, they have plot holes to fill…

A farmer was driving home in the early hours of the morning and she noticed three white vans blocking the road. No one was inside them. She turned around and spotted a bunch of Middle Eastern-looking boys running off into the woods. Those woods were incredibly dark, but thankfully, she has the eyes of an owl. She was able to work out their ethnicity through the shadow of the trees, despite the fact they were wearing masks.

She called an emergency line that locals had been given for just such a scenario, but no one could be bothered to answer. She called 999 and police came out within ten minutes of her call. When they arrived, they said they’d first been notified nearly an hour ago, but hadn’t bothered doing anything. There were no routine security patrols around the base either. It’s basically the sloppiest security effort since Netanyahu gave standdown orders on October 7.

Luckily for the police, those Middle-Eastern-looking boys were still hanging around 25 minutes later and were arrested under the Explosives Act.

We are told the vans had been driving around the base for hours before they parked up. It’s like they were making their arrival as visible as possible and then they just waited around to be caught. Either it was deliberate or they were just as useless as base security.

Somehow it gets even worse. The vans were parked just six metres from houses, and the company names and telephone numbers on them were fake. Yet it took police around five hours to give evacuation orders. Maybe they knew the vans weren’t a threat, or maybe they’re staggeringly incompetent. I guess it could be both.

Prior to the incident, the base was on its highest alert, and one local said they’d been stopped at gunpoint by Americans. If you didn’t know, this is an American base on our soil, or a “fort” as Trump called it. The US president was giving interviews about the incident shortly after it happened. He said “it worked out great”, which is an odd choice of words, don’t you think?

Trump said the US had been investigating the suspects for a long time. Not sure if he meant “investigating” or actually meant “working with”. All I know is the British are insisting the arrests weren’t intelligence-led and that a farmer basically saved the country.

We are now being told by the war-hungry media it was Iran, Iran, Iran… or maybe Russia, according to one news reader who mumbled something about this is why we need tactical nukes. Yelp.

Now I’m still not clear what these “Iranians” were hoping to achieve. Park vans packed with explosives near a base and blow the whole thing up? Unless they had a nuke, best they’d achieve is damage to a few nearby houses and trees.

If the Iranians wanted to pull this off, they would not hire a bunch of kids to drive in circles for hours around a base that’s on its highest alert and then hide in the woods until they were caught. They would quickly launch drones and disappear.

It seems more likely this was a performance rather than a serious attack. Shortly after it happened, we had a news crew flying above Fairford in a helicopter, showing the location of B1 Stealth Bombers and other sensitive things. If there was a real threat, that’s the last thing they would allow.

Now you have to ask yourself which parties would benefit from this. Israel needs us to join its war, the US needs to keep using Fairford to bomb Iran, and the UK needs to justify its involvement.

Even though we attacked Iran first, they will probably spin it into something like this: “Iran is attacking the UK, even though we are a neutral party. Therefore we have no choice but to get involved”. This would be a terrible legal and moral argument, but it just needs to convince stupid people. We have to make sure stupid people are not taken in by this crap.