Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
3d ago

U.S. Clears $3.42 Billion F-16 Sale to Peru

The move triggers congressional review of a package Washington frames as bolstering Peru’s counternarcotics and counterterrorism capacity.

Image
A United States F-16 fighter jet conducts flight operations during Festival Aereo Chiclayo 2024 in Chiclayo, Peru, on June 17, 2024.
Image
US Air Force F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft. Credit: Sanit Fuangnakhon / Shutterstock.com.

Overview

  • State Department approval and DSCA notification to Congress launch the review process for a proposed sale that is not yet final.
  • The package covers 12 F-16 Block 70 jets (10 F-16C and 2 F-16D) with 14 F110 engines, AN/APG-83 AESA radars, Viper Shield EW suites, Litening pods, and AMRAAM and AIM-9X missiles, plus training and sustainment.
  • Washington cites airspace control, border defense, and precision support to counternarcotics and counterterrorism missions, following Peru’s designation as a major drug transit or producing country for 2026.
  • The deal is presented as maintaining the regional military balance and not requiring additional U.S. personnel or affecting U.S. defense readiness.
  • Peru seeks up to 24 new fighters to replace aging MiG-29s, Su-25s, Mirage 2000s, and A-37s, with Rafale, Gripen, and KF-21 options still in play as the potential F-16 buy signals a shift from Russian equipment; principal contractors would be Lockheed Martin, GE Aerospace, and RTX.