Taiwan's air force is getting its first new American F-16V fighter jets, a win for Taiwan's defenses and another irritant for Beijing.

• The first two of 66 jets Taiwan bought from the US have left Hawaii and are due to land at Taitung's Chihhang air base.
• They flew out of Texas in mid-August and sat in Hawaii for six weeks of checks before the final leg.
• The State Department said US policy on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington stands with friends and allies across the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan included.
• US law obliges Washington to sell Taiwan defensive weapons, and America remains Taiwan's main arms supplier.

Outlook: The remaining jets in the 66-plane order will trickle in over the coming years, with China likely to protest each delivery.