Taiwan's first new F-16V fighter jets arrive to bolster defences against China

The first two of a batch of 66 new ‌F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered in 2019 arrived in Taiwan on Friday after months of delays, helping to strengthen an air force that has to scramble almost daily to shadow China's military.

Taiwan faces a rising military threat from Beijing, which claims the democratically governed island as ​its own territory. Taipei has complained of repeated delays to weapons ordered from the United States, its most ​important international backer and arms supplier.

The delivery, to Taitung's Chihhang Air Base on the island's mountainous ⁠east coast, comes amid growing concern in Taiwan about the Trump administration's commitment to arming Taipei, despite Washington saying there ​has been no change in policy.

The aircraft, which flew via Hawaii and Guam, touched down at noon (0400 GMT).

Speaking to reporters at ​parliament in Taipei shortly before, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said there would be other new F-16Vs arriving soon, though he did not give details.

"Of course we won't only have delivered these two by year-end," he said.

The United States in 2019 approved an $8 billion sale of Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab ​F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan, a deal that would take the island's F-16 fleet to more than 200 jets. But ​issues including software problems have delayed delivery of the planes.