After seven years of waiting, Taiwan received its first two F-16V fighter jets from the United States. The aircraft arrived at 12:00 local time (04:00 GMT) at the Taitung Air Base on Taiwan's southern coast, as reported by AFP. These jets are part of an 8 billion dollar contract for 66 aircraft, approved by the U.S. government in 2019 during the first term of former President Donald Trump. Originally, the planes were expected to arrive in early September after refueling stops in Hawaii and Guam. However, local media reported that the aircraft turned back toward Hawaii shortly after taking off toward Guam, with no official explanation given for the change in route. Taiwan is currently awaiting approval from Washington for another 14 billion dollar arms contract. Wellington Koo, the Taiwanese Minister of Defense, previously said it would be "difficult" to deliver all the F-16V aircraft this year as planned, even though Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, has accelerated production. The F-16V is a fourth-generation fighter and a significantly upgraded version of the older F-16 A/B aircraft that Taiwan already has. By the end of 2023, Taiwan had modernized 141 of these older aircraft. China claims Taiwan as an integral part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. In recent years, Beijing has increased military pressure and regularly protested against U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The U.S. has sold billions of dollars worth of weapons to Taipei, including fighter jets, missiles, and warships, under its policy of helping the island maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities. The division between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China has lasted since 1949, when communist forces took control of the mainland, and the Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan. Since then, the two have been governed separately, with Taiwan operating its own government, military, and international relations, though it is not universally recognized as an independent state.