Taiwan’s ongoing quest for the F-35B Lightning II has recently been revisited during policy discussions in Taipei and Washington. The quest for STOVL was similar to the stealth requirement, however with a much more apparent sense of urgency. However, the necessity of the STOVL requirement is less clear and it comes with a significant performance trade-off. Fairly limited suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) capability makes the PLAAF situation more complicated. The main point: Taiwan’s quest to acquire F-35B Lighting IIs has gained renewed vigor with the Trump administration.