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Peru to buy 12 F-16 Block 70 fighters
Lockheed Martin welcomes the Government of Peru’s announcement to purchase 12 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft to modernize the nation’s fighter fleet and strengthen its national defense capabilities.
The F-16 will provide Peruvian Air Force with a proven, highly capable and interoperable multirole fighter aircraft that enhances air sovereignty, supports regional security and enables long-term operational readiness.
The Block 70 is the newest and most capable F-16 ever built with the longest service life, lowest lifecycle cost, and strongest global support base of any fighter in production today. It features advanced technology, radar, and weapons systems that give pilots better awareness and greater protection to achieve their mission and return home safe.
“Peru’s choice of the F-16 underscores the aircraft’s unmatched operational performance and combat record, as well as its ability to meet the most pressing defense requirements,” said Mike Shoemaker, Vice President of Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin in a company news release. “We are proud that the most advanced F-16 ever produced will help protect Peru’s national sovereignty while strengthening the enduring partnership between our nations.”
The acquisition marks a major step in the Peruvian Air Force’s fighter fleet transformation, reinforces a longstanding strategic partnership with the United States, and enables industrial collaboration opportunities.
Sweden’s competing proposal
As already reported, emphasizing lifecycle cost advantages and regional experience from Brazil’s successful Gripen program, Sweden’s competed agains the F-16 Block 70 by offering up to 12 JAS 39 E/F Gripen aircraft through Saab. The proposal explicitly noted revenue expectations and domestic industrial benefits.
Being Saab’s latest evolution with advanced avionics and enhanced payload capacity, the Gripen E/F supports modern air-to-air missiles and precision-guided munitions comparable to F-16 capabilities.
Sweden’s proposal highlighted that long-term operational costs could be potentially reduced compared to establishing new American-standard logistics chains because Stockholm was able to establish South American presence through Brazilian Gripen operations that could provide training and maintenance cooperation advantages.
Neither proposal would alter regional military balance according to the State Department that also suggested coordination with neighboring countries’ defense capabilities.
Unparalleled capabilities
“Cooperation between U.S. and allied defense industrial bases has always been a shared source of security and economic benefit,” added Shoemaker. “These ties will continue to strengthen with Peru through the F-16 Block 70 program, fostering economic growth for all partners.”
Six countries selected the F-16 Block 70/72 version for their fleets.
The F-16 Block 70/72, offers unparalleled capabilities and will be flown by at least five countries beginning in the mid-2020s.
The Block 70/72 in fact combines capability upgrades, most notably the advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with a new avionics architecture, and structural upgrades to extend the structural life of the aircraft by more than 50 percent beyond that of previous production F-16 aircraft. F-16 Block 70/72 software takes advantage of technologies not available when earlier Block F-16s were developed and produced. Operational capabilities are enhanced through an advanced datalink, targeting pod and weapons; precision GPS navigation and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
Photo credit: Lockheed Martin, SAAB and Swedish Air Force
