F-16 Fighting Falcon News

June 28, 2006 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Four F-16 block 50s purchased from the United States arrived Tuesday at the Los Cóndores Air Base in Iquique. Two jets arrived earlier this year and another four will join the fleet by the end of 2006 as part of a large-scale renovation of Chile's Air Force.
Ten of the 26 F-16 jets in Chile's fleet will be stationed in Iquique, while the other 16, purchased from Holland, will be based at Antofagasta. The purchase of ten aircraft and supplies from the U.S. was approved in 2001 under then-President Richard Lagos, after the U.S. ended a 20-year ban on the sale of high-tech weaponry in Latin America.

The new F-16s are not yet equipped with the latest high-tech missiles, in keeping with a U.S. policy not to be the first to introduce new military technology to a region.

The ten block 50 jets, purchased through contractor Lockheed Martin as part of the "Peace Puma Program," carry a price tag of around US$500 million, along with munitions and supplies. The purchases have been aided by booming copper prices as there is a law that gives the armed forces 10 percent of Chile's copper sales abroad. Chile is the world's largest copper exporter.

Chile spent US$2.8 billion -- 3.5 percent of its GDP -- on the military in 2005, more than any other country in South America. Chile was the second South American nation to purchase an F-16 after Venezuela.

Defense Minister Vivianne Blanlot visited Los Cóndores Monday to take a test flight in one of the two F-16 jets stationed there since the beginning of the year.

The U.S. Air Force will conduct F-16 flying training with Chilean pilots. In addition, "train-the-trainer" instruction will enable the Chileans to train their own pilots. U.S. Air Force officials hope "Peace Puma" will mark the start of a long term relationship with the Chilean Air Force.