Lockheed Martin has rolled out the first of 10 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters ordered by the Chilean air force.
The completed F-16C is due to fly in June, with flight testing from August to February 2006, says Lockheed Martin Americas president Ron Covais. Six F-16Cs and four F-16Ds are to be delivered to Chile in 2006.
Chile's minister of national defence Jaime Ravinet says the fighter order is a key step towards modernising Chile's armed forces, achieving interoperability with allied forces and other technology benefits provided by an associated offset programme.
But the air force's mounting re-equipment bills have made it unlikely that the government will place a second order of 10-14 new F-16Cs in 2006. Both Chile and the Brazilian air force have enquired recently about buying used F-16s from the Netherlands and Turkey.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE/WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International