Most of the Fleet to Receive Upgrades at $635 million

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has informed Congress of State Department approval for a potential Foreign Military Sale to Chile for modernisation of the F-16 fleet. Estimated cost is $634.7 million (€541.2 million).

The government of Chile has requested equipment and related services for an F-16 modernisation programme to include: 19 Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS); six inert MK-82 (500lb) general purpose bomb bodies; two MXU-650KB Air Foil Groups (AFG); 44 LN-260 Embedded GPS/INS (EGI); 49 Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radios (MIDS JTRS).  Also included are avionics and Mode 5 equipment and software upgrades, integration and test; software and software support; ARC-238 radios; Combined Altitude Radar Altimeters (CARA); Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) support; AN/APX-126 combined interrogator IFF transponders, cryptographic appliques, keying equipment and encryption devices; weapon system spares and support; bomb components; High-Bandwidth Compact Telemetry Modules (HCTMs); secure communications and precision navigation equipment; aircraft displays; additional spare and repair/return parts; publications, charts, and technical documentation; integration and test equipment; and engineering, technical and logistical support services and other related elements of logistics and programme support. The prime contractor will be Lockheed Martin.

According to MON sister publication The World Defence Almanac, the current F-16 fleet for the Chilean Air Force stands at 46 aircraft, with an additional ten early models used as trainers.