Taiwan's air force has taken delivery of its first two brand-new F-16V Block 70 fighters, a boost for the island's air defense as pressure from China grows.

• The two single-seat jets flew in from Guam with multiple mid-air refuelings and landed at Chihhang air base in Taitung, where they were formally handed over by the United States.
• They are the first of 66 new jets Taiwan bought from the U.S. under a multi-year program worth hundreds of billions of Taiwan dollars.
• The remaining 63 aircraft are still on the production line in the U.S., with some already at the handover stage.
• Taiwan set up a new tactical fighter wing in late 2023 and has been sending pilots and ground crews to the U.S. for training so the jets can go operational quickly.
• The new jets carry conformal fuel tanks that extend their range, a step up from the older F-16s Taiwan upgraded in an earlier program.

Outlook: Deliveries should continue in batches over the coming months as crews finish training and the new wing builds up combat readiness.