Taiwan's air force just received its first two of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets, a clear boost for the island's defenses and a sign of tighter military ties with Washington.

• The jets flew in from Hawaii to Chihhang air base in Taitung, on Taiwan's east coast.
• Taiwan passed on the pricier, harder-to-maintain F-35 and chose a plane its crews already know how to fly and fix.
• Basing them in the east plugs a gap there, since Chinese carriers and aircraft now circle that side of the island regularly; the central mountains help shield the base.
• With the new jets plus 139 upgraded older ones, Taiwan will field 205 F-16Vs — one of the largest such fleets anywhere.
• Extra fuel tanks stretch their range to over 1,000 km, so they can hit coastal radar sites and invasion ships, not just defend airspace.

Outlook: The remaining jets arrive in batches as Chihhang converts from a training base into a frontline combat wing, and local firms take on more of the maintenance work.