Taiwan's air force says the first of its new F-16V Block 70 fighters have landed and their jamming pods are partly fitted, a slow but steady step for the island's defenses.

• The first two of 66 new F-16V jets arrived at Taitung's Zhihang air base on October 2.
• Hardware for the "Viper Shield" electronic warfare pod is installed, but the software is still being written.
• The jamming system has to be merged with the new jet's computers, and that work must finish within an agreed window after delivery.
• 63 more jets are on the production line, with another possibly flying to Taiwan this month.
• Older upgraded F-16Vs are also getting automatic ground-collision avoidance gear, with the first two planes done.

Outlook: More jets should arrive in the coming months, but whether all 66 land next year still depends on talks with Washington.