Chile is set to enhance 36 operational F-16 fighter jets in a deal stamped with Lockheed Martin, through a $177 million contract, as disclosed by the Pentagon. The agreement, announced on October 31, involves the modification of F-16AM/BM Block 15/20 MLU aircraft to the M6.6 standard. As stated by a spokesperson from Lockheed, the program aims to deliver advanced identification friend or foe capability and integrate the Link 16 tactical communications system.
The upgrade process is scheduled to occur in Fort Worth, Texas, and Greenville, South Carolina, along with Chilean Air Force maintenance workshops in Santiago and Antofagasta, according to information from both the Pentagon and Chilean military sources. Lockheed is expected to complete the project by November 30, 2032. The upgraded F-16s are anticipated to remain operational until the early 2040s, signifying the potential initiation of additional expenditures and agreements.
Initial plans included the installation of active electronically scanned array radars, but this has changed due to the current analogue radars being supplemented by real-time situational and targeting data from E-3D Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft, acquired from the U.K. in 2022.
The Chilean Air Force had sought funding for the F-16 upgrade program in 2019, with the U.S. State Department concurrently working on export authorization for associated systems and parts to Chile. However, the Chilean government declined the funding for technical and financial reasons, opting to instruct the service to request funds in the 2021 national budget. Although related sales were approved by the State Department in 2020, the Chilean government postponed the project amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chile initially ordered 36 F-16 MLU jets from the Netherlands in two separate batches of 18 each in 2005 and 2009. The last aircraft were delivered in 2011, and while all jets are operational, two airframes are utilized for training technicians and ground crews.
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