Paul Lewis / Santiago
Approval for AMRAAM export to Brazil could release missile to Chile, but Congress may still vote to block decision
The US Government has cleared the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM for sale to Brazil. The approval, which emerged at last week's FIDAE air show in Santiago, Chile, opens the door for the first time to the release of the active-guided air-to-air missile to other South American nations, including Chile.
Until now, Chile has been blocked from acquiring the beyond visual range (BVR) weapon as part of a Lockheed Martin F-16 order.
The US State Department and Department of Defense have cleared the AIM-120C5 for Brazil in support of Lockheed Martin's bid to win the F-X fighter competition with the F-16C/D. Brasilia is understood to have told Washington DC that refusal to release AMRAAM would have ruled the US manufacturer out of the contest.
AMRAAM will be included as part of an F-16 letter of offer and acceptance (LoA) to Brazil due to be formally notified to the US Congress later this month. The deal could still be blocked by Congress if enough votes can be mustered in the Senate Armed Services Committee. Attention is focused on Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd, who was instrumental in blocking AMRAAM for Chile, say industry sources.
State Department policy has long been to refuse release of a new weapon system, such as BVRs, to regions of the world unless a comparable capability already exists. There has been evidence for some time, including a picture taken from local television, published last year in (Flight International 10-16 July, 2001), that Peru has a BVR weapon in the form of the Russian Vympel RVV-AE (R-77/AA-12 Adder) arming its RSK MiG-29 fighters.
Furthermore, Chile is widely believed to have already acquired or be in the process of receiving the Rafael Derby BVR missile which was on display at FIDAE. The missile initially will arm Chile's Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IVs, upgraded in recent years by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), and is seen as an alternative to AMRAAM for the air force's 10 F-16C/Ds due for delivery in 2005-6.
Chile could opt to pay Lockheed Martin to integrate Derby with its F-16s or have IAI perform the work, but US sources warn that the aircraft would not then be compatible with future software updates. Alternatively, AMRAAM could be included in a supplemental LoA for Chile once the proposed Brazilian deal is approved.
Source: Flight International
