Enviado: Seg Abr 09, 2007 7:42 pm
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Defense Minister Emphasizes Modernization of 5th Air Brigade
(Source: Chilean Ministry of Defence; dated June 25, web-posted June 26, 2007)
(Issued in Spanish; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)
ANTOFAGASTA, Chile --- The Minister of Defense, Jose Goñi, emphasized the work of permanent aid to the community carried out by the 5th Air Brigade, based at Antofagasta and Iquique, and which operates the 28 F-16 fighter-bombers acquired as part of the modernization of the Chilean Air Force, the Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACH).
"These acquisitions have allowed us to renew the materiel on which the Air Force counts, and whose older equipment is being replaced as part of a process of institutional modernization.” He added that, for the time being, there are no plans to purchase additional aircraft of the same category.
In June, the 5th Air Brigade received six F-16 MLU aircraft, which formed the final batch of combat aircraft bought second-hand from the Netherlands. Today, the Brigade operates 18 of these powerful aircraft, operated by the 8th Grupo Aéreo (fighter squadron).
The other ten Chilean F16s, Block 50 aircraft bought new from the United States, are also present on national territory. The last two of these airplanes were delivered in mid-March by their manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and were assigned to the 3 Grupo Aéreo belonging to the 1st Air Brigade based in Iquique.
The Commander-in-Chief of the FACH, Gen. Ricardo Ortega Perrier, emphasized tha qualities of the F-16, which is definitely a world-class, leading-edge aircraft of which more than 4,000 are in service world-wide.
Gen. Perrier agreed with the Minister of Defense insofar as no decision has been made to replace the next airplanes that will be retired from the inventory of the FACH: these are the A-37 Dragonfly and the F-5 Tiger II.”
"But we are always looking at what is available, because availabilities suddenly appear on the market that can save significant resources", said the head of the FACH.
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