Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico) December 04, 2004
Chileans Visit Kirtland
By Miguel Navrot
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE -- A handful of Chilean air force pilots and officers took in a Friday show-and-tell here from the New Mexico Air National Guard's fighter wing.
Chile, awaiting 10 new U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets, is preparing its air force for a more modern aircraft fleet. Known as the Fuerza Aerea de Chile, or FACh, they sought the F-16s as replacements for its aging fleet of Mirage 5 ground attack fighter jets.
The new F-16s, built by Lockheed Martin, aren't scheduled for delivery until 2006. The Chilean air force is consulting with U.S. counterparts -- including New Mexico's 150th Fighter Wing, the "Tacos" -- to model its planned squadron.
"This is a very important step for us," said Chilean air force Capt. Felipe Ortega, 30, a training officer visiting the United States. "We can learn from your errors, learn from your experience and learn from all the kinds of stuff that is involved in the system."
Chilean officers and pilots earlier this week visited Cannon Air Force Base before arriving at Kirtland. Before heading back south, the entourage will visit Air National Guard troops in Tucson.
The Tacos are old acquaintances with Chile's air force, which numbers 14,000. Since 2000, local pilots and other airmen have visited Chile for various exercises.
The New Mexico airmen aren't allowed to offer training to the Chileans, said 150th Lt. Col. Joel Harris, but they can give operational information about the F-16 fighter jet.
"We're just showing them how a normal squadron works," Harris said, noting the state fighter wing went through a similar transition 12 years ago when the Tacos converted from A-7 Corsair jets to F-16s.
Chile's F-16 purchase, worth roughly $550,000, received some criticism among arms control advocates when it was announced in 2000. In 1997, the United States ended its 20-year moratorium on advanced weapon sales to Latin American countries.
Critics at the time contended wide weapons sales would spur an arms race among countries not believed to be threatened.
John Pike, head of the Washington defense study group Globalsecurity.org, called Latin America "about the most de-militarized part of the world."
"It seems to me that anything we can do to encourage that would be better than trying to discourage that," Pike said in a telephone interview. He also noted that selling U.S.-made fighter jets to Chile has advantages, including fostering military relationships and making money for domestic weapon manufactures.
"It gives us some degree of political influence," Pike said.
© Copyright 2004, Albuquerque Journal
