The government of Argentina has postponed until 2023 the choice of a new supersonic fighter jet for its air force. The country is looking at three options: the Sino-Pakistani PAC JF-17, India's HAL Tejas and used F-16 fighters from Denmark. A decision was expected to be announced in December.
The news comes days after the Argentine ambassador to China met with representatives of the Chinese CATIC. They talked about the proposed JF-17 (which seems to be the favored model), as well as improvements in cooperation between Beijing and Buenos Aires in the defense sector.
According to the portal Military zone, a delegation from Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA) is in Denmark evaluating in loco the F-16AM/BM MLU fighters that the country is retiring. Last week, the Chief of the t Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Juan Martin Paleo, met with Ambassador of India Dinesh Bhatia. The ambassador and the general spoke about a visit to the premises of the Hindustian Aeronautic Limited (HAL), where interest in the company's fighter-bomber was expressed.
The possible selection and purchase of Tejas, however, may end up bumping into the old British embargo. London imposes, since the end of the Falklands/Malvinas war in 1982, a blockade on the supply of defense products to Argentina, which has been the biggest problem for the South American country in the purchase of its new combat aircraft.
Even manufactured and developed in India, the Tejas has components of English origin in its construction, including the Cobham in-flight refueling system and the traditional Martin-Baker ejection seat. HAL said it could modify the plane, but that would logically entail a more expensive aircraft, as well as a series of new tests and certifications.
During the t multidomain exercise on Cyberdefense and Electronic Warfare, Zona Militar spoke with Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana. Asked whether a decision on the new aircraft would be made by the end of the year, Taiana said “I don't know if by the end of the year, I think by the end of the year we will have received all the offers that were made, and we will analyze all of them.”
The minister also emphasized that the decision “Tem to take into not only the technical aspects and the quality of the aircraft's weapons systems, but also to take into issues that have to do with financing, with delivery times. These are political decisions that will be taken at the highest level by the President of the Republic”.
Taiana's statements point to a postponement of the choice of the new fighter. According to Brigadier General Xavier Isaac, commander of the FAA, the intention was to finalize this process before the end of the year. At the time, it was also announced that the Russian Mikoyan MiG-35 was scrapped. “due to the international context and conditions of a variant that was not accepted in the international market”.
The country has been trying to acquire new planes since 2015, when it retired its last Mirage III and other variants. Today the Argentine Air Force has about half a dozen A-4AR Fightinghawk jets, modernized with avionics found in the F-16.
