Taiwan’s F-16V fighters fly with the new MS-110 reconnaissance pod

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In recent days, attention on Taiwan’s military capabilities has focused on the arrival on the island of the first two newly built F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft. Nevertheless, other developments are also under way, centred on the capabilities and equipment being integrated into the Taiwanese Air Force’s F-16A/B fleet. These aircraft were upgraded to the F-16V standard, the designation also applied to the Block 70/72. More specifically, several flights by combat aircraft fitted with the new MS-110 multispectral reconnaissance pod were observed a few days ago.

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F-16V modernisation and the MS-110 reconnaissance pod

As part of one of its most significant capability renewal and modernisation programmes, Taiwan’s acquisition of sixty-six (66) new F-16 Block 70 fighters was accompanied by the upgrade to the same standard of its F-16A/B fleet, which entered service during the 1990s.

After confirmation in 2024 that upgrade work had been completed on 139 F-16 fighters-a lower figure than initially planned because aircraft had been lost in operational accidents-it also emerged that the Taiwanese and United States air forces were working to expand the “Peace Phoenix Rising” programme. This involved incorporating new capabilities into the upgraded aircraft, including the use of the new MS-110 multispectral reconnaissance pods.

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This follows confirmation that six examples of these RTX reconnaissance systems were purchased in 2021 for US$ 340 million, with delivery originally scheduled for 2025.

In broad terms, and according to the US company, the MS-110 is a next-generation multispectral airborne reconnaissance pod derived from the DB-110 system. Its key improvements include the combination of sensors operating across different visible and infrared bands, greater stand-off coverage, improved image quality, and the ability to rapidly transmit and exploit information through near-real-time data links.

Taiwan’s F-16s take over the reconnaissance role

The appearance of these new pods on Taiwanese F-16 fighters first confirms the full or partial delivery of the systems procured from the United States in 2021. Secondly, it could signal the beginning of test flights or, at best, reconnaissance missions.

This is significant because F-16s equipped with the MS-110 are set to replace the RF-5E reconnaissance aircraft, which were officially withdrawn from service in July 2025. Their retirement definitively brought the Taiwanese Air Force’s chapter with the F-5E/F Tiger II family to an end.

Finally, the aircraft involved in these flights are almost certainly F-16Vs operated by the 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (12 TRS) of the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Chiashan Air Base in Hualien. Before receiving the new MS-110 systems, this unit used the Phoenix Eye reconnaissance pod.

The cover photograph is for illustrative purposes.