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Chile receives first part of military upgrade, February 1, 2005

Chile received the first part of American military hardware as a part of its “Peace Puma” program, which the Chilean government says is merely a renewing of obsolete equipment and not a large-scale military re-armament. The $547 million dollar shipment, to be sent over 10 months by the U.S. Air Force, includes 10 Lockheed-Martin F-16 B and D jet fighters, AIM-9 heat-seeking missiles, JDAMs (guidance tail kits that allow bombs to be independently targeted) and advanced medium air-to-air missiles. In addition, Air Force officers will train Chilean flight instructors in order to allow that country to produce their own pilots. Chile has also purchased secondhand 18 Dutch F-16 jets. The purchase was made possible by Chile’s copper mines, among the richest in the world.


News Stories:

"La FACh presentó ayer los aviones más modernos de Sudamérica "
El Mercurio (Chile) February 1, 2005
"Chilean air force receives first two F-16 Peace Puma jets "
F-16.net February 1, 2005
"Chile gets F-16s from U.S. "
Miami Herald February 1, 2005
"Chile gets its first U.S. F-16 warplanes "
Boston Globe January 31, 2005

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February 1, 2006