Taiwan's air force just got a real upgrade, which is good news for the island's defense and a quiet signal that Washington is keeping its arms promises despite delays.

• The first two of 66 new F-16V fighters flew from Texas to the Chihhang base in eastern Taiwan.
• Retired US Navy rear admiral Mark Montgomery says the next big step is buying E-2D early-warning planes and better air-to-air missiles so the new jets can fight at full strength.
• Basing the jets in the east adds depth against a Chinese attack and eases the strain on Taiwan's existing fleet.
• A bigger story may be personnel: US defense policy and think-tank experts are set to be stationed long-term inside Taiwan's defense ministry, putting Americans close to the core of Taiwan's defense decisions.
• Analysts see that closer day-to-day coordination as more meaningful than any new weapons sale announcement.

Outlook: More F-16Vs are due over the next few years, and the push now shifts toward early-warning aircraft, missiles, and deeper US-Taiwan planning ties.