SAAB SAYS THAT CHILE has requested information on the JAS39 Gripen fighter as a prelude to a possible competition. The Swedish manufacturer says that Chile is expected to decide in 1998 whether to buy new fighters, with an initial requirement for around 15 aircraft.
The company expects Dassault to compete also, with its Mirage 2000-5; Lockheed Martin to offer its F-16; McDonnell Douglas to bid with its F-18; and VPK MAPO to offer the MiG-29.
Sales of US combat aircraft to Latin America are now barred. The ban also applies to the Gripen because of its high US content.
The US Government is re-evaluating the embargo, and is expected to lift the ban on fighter sales to Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Brazil is preparing a request for proposals for its F-X fighter requirement, with deliveries to begin after the turn of the century.
Argentina opposes lifting the ban, as it is less able to afford new fighters than are Brazil or Chile, which have stronger economies.
The country required commercial financing arranged by Lockheed Martin to buy 36 upgraded ex-US Navy McDonnell Douglas A-4Ms, its most recent combat-aircraft purchase. Saab has been courting Chile since 1994, when it was the only Western fighter manufacturer to exhibit at the FIDAE show in Santiago. A full-scale mock-up of an export Gripen was displayed at FIDAE '96.
Source: Flight International
