30th Anniversary of Peace Fenghuang
A special livery has been applied to a General Dynamics F-16A Block 72V “Viper” of the 56th Operations Group (56 OG), 21st Fighter Squadron (21st FS), “The Gamblers,” based at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona.
The aircraft wears the special markings to commemorate the 30th anniversary in 2026 of Peace Fenghuang, the long-running program that provides combat and maintenance training to pilots and technicians of the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF), commonly known as the Taiwan Air Force. The Chinese name Fenghuang translates as “Phoenix.”
Peace Fenghuang has also evolved alongside Taiwan’s F-16 fleet. Taiwan originally purchased 150 F-16A/B aircraft, and many of those aircraft have since undergone the extensive Peace Phoenix Rising modernization program, bringing them to the F-16V standard. The upgraded aircraft incorporate modern systems including an AESA radar, improved mission computer, Link 16, helmet-mounted cueing and other capabilities, giving Taiwan a significantly more capable version of the classic Fighting Falcon.
In 2022, the 21st Fighter Squadron’s Taiwanese F-16 training operation moved from Luke Air Force Base to Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson. The 2026 special livery therefore represents more than simply an anniversary—it celebrates a unique chapter in F-16 history and the enduring connection between the U.S. Air Force’s “Gamblers” and their ROCAF counterparts.
