Debate over the future of the Republic of China Air Force’s fighter force has intensified after the Liberty Times discussed the possibility that a larger fleet of upgraded F-16V and F-16 Block 70 fighters could offer greater value than a smaller force of newer F-35s. The Times’ comparison between 200 F-16s and 100 F-35As highlights a fundamental difference between increasing fighter numbers relying on loewr cost aircraft, and acquiring higher value aircraft designed to operate in heavily contested airspace. The F-16 Block 70 represents a substantial modernisation of an ageing Cold War era fighter type which first entered service in 1978, and had been developed to provide the U.S. Air Force with a lighter cheaper counterpart to its premier F-15 fighter. The F-35A, by contrast, is a post-Cold War fifth generation fighter designed specifically to succeed the F-16 in service.