US EditionPeru Signs F-16 Fighter Jet Deal After Days of Tensions with U.S.
The move sent the fighter jet program back to cabinet review and left Lockheed Martin, Dassault Aviation and Saab waiting for a new decision.
- On Friday, April 17, Peruvian interim President José María Balcázar canceled a US$3.5 billion signing ceremony for 24 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, arguing a transitional government should not commit the next administration.
- Balcázar told broadcaster Exitosa that committing US$3.5 billion through sovereign bonds with five months left in office would be bad practice. Lockheed's initial proposal covered 12 F-16s, whereas competitors Dassault and Saab offered 14 Rafales and 24 Gripens.
- US Ambassador Bernie Navarro responded by threatening to use 'every available tool' against anyone acting 'in bad faith,' while the cancellation jeopardizes Peru's Major Non-NATO Ally designation and a US$1.5 billion US Army Corps of Engineers naval base contract.
- The decision left three foreign bidders—Lockheed, Dassault Aviation, and Saab—in procedural limbo. Vice President Lars Tossman warned the Defense Ministry that any future decision without a new Gripen evaluation would be procedurally defective.
- Peruvian military officials argue three neighbors—Brazil, Chile, and Colombia—have better-equipped air forces, and the broader US$3.4 billion defense modernization plan now faces a credibility deficit with international suppliers.
21 Articles
21 Articles
The authorities' agreement with Lockheed Martin was scheduled to be signed in Lima at the end of last week.
The United States warns Peru of reprisals as the Peruvian government delays the acquisition of 24 American F-16 fighter jets. The Trump administration wants to regain its influence in South America, and this suspended contract does not go for Washington.
The decision of the interim president of Peru, José María Balcázar, to postpone to the next government the acquisition of U.S. fighter planes F-16 Block 70 has awakened not only the discomfort of the U.S. ambassador, but also of his predecessor in office, José Jerí, and his former prime minister, Ernesto Álvarez, who has referred to an alleged principle of agreement secretly signed by him with the U.S. in the middle of a contest involving the Sw…
Interim President Stops Peru’s Largest-Ever Defense Contract
Key Points — Peruvian interim President José María Balcázar canceled a US$3.5 billion signing ceremony for 24 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighter jets hours before it was scheduled on Friday April 17, arguing a transitional government should not commit the next administration. — US Ambassador Bernie Navarro responded within hours by threatening “all available […] The post Interim President Stops Peru’s Largest-Ever Defense Contract appeared fi…
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