Us seeks to speed up delivery of new fighter jets to Taiwan

#accelerat#intercepting#condition#intercept  

The United States is trying to speed up the delivery of Taiwan's next generation of newly built F-16 fighter jets by the end of 2026 to strengthen its air force's ability to counter China's growing military threat, Reuters quoted US officials as saying.The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they had not yet come up with a solution on how to speed delivery of the Block 70 F-16, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. and equipped with the new features. The planes are currently scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026.As Taiwan's air force took to the air to intercept the Chinese aircraft, a senior Taiwanese official noted that the island's government had privately told the Biden administration that it wanted the aircraft delivered more quickly.As Taiwan's air force scrambled to intercept Chinese aircraft, the government privately expressed to the Biden administration its desire to speed up deliveries because more flights would also mean more wear and tear on Taiwan's aircraft, the sources said, citing a senior Taiwanese official.

"It's all about risk assessment......," the official said And it's clear where the risks are, "he said, referring to the tensions dividing Taiwan. The F-16, on the other hand, has long been considered a highly mobile aircraft, proven in air-to-air combat and air-to-ground attacks.Once Taiwan receives 66 newly built F-16 C/D Block 70 aircraft, it will have one of the largest F-16 fleets in Asia, under the deal approved by the US State Department in 2019. That would bring Taiwan's total fleet of F-16s, including older models, to more than 200 by 2026.

Any move to speed up delivery of the new aircraft could ultimately come down to the Biden administration's determination that Taiwan's defense needs are more pressing than those of other U.S. Allies and partners, according to experts.

#accelerate#Ukrainian#embassy#commercial 

U.S. officials have warned that Moscow continues to amass more than 100,000 troops near Russia's border with Ukraine and in neighboring Belarus, and could launch destructive attacks, including on Kiev, at any time. Moscow denies Western accusations that it is planning an invasion."An invasion of Ukraine could trigger violence and destruction on a massive scale, with loss of life regardless of nationality -- American, Ukrainian" or others, State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a briefing.

In a statement, Blinken said the decision to move embassy operations to Lviv was made for the safety of staff. Lviv is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Ukraine's western border with Poland.

Most embassy staff have been asked to leave Ukraine, and American citizens have been advised to leave the country by commercial means.Mr Blinken said the move would "in no way" undermine US support for Ukraine's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" and that US diplomats would "remain engaged" with the Ukrainian government.He said the US was continuing to press Moscow for a diplomatic solution.But Price told reporters, "We don't know if Russia is interested... Explore diplomatic options."

He said Washington took note of comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a televised meeting with President Vladimir Putin that Moscow would continue diplomatic efforts to secure security guarantees from the West.Price continued, "What we haven't noticed is any indication of a de-escalation of the Russian military."