CHILE · DEFENSE
Key Facts
- The country Chile is a long, copper-rich Pacific nation whose air force already flies American F-16 fighters.
- Why it matters A Chilean purchase of the US-built F-35 would be a major American defense export and would make Chile the first Latin American country to fly a fighter of this class.
- Why now The announcement came at the Friday 30 October 2026 change of command of the Chilean Air Force, with the 50-year-old F-5 fleet nearing the end of its service life.
- What happened The outgoing commander, General Hugo Rodríguez, spoke of Chile preparing to bring in a fifth-generation fighter, which Chilean television identified as the F-35, and gave no number of jets, price or delivery date.
- What it means for you A sale would be a Lockheed Martin export approved by Washington and a closer defense tie with a Pacific partner, but no contract has been made public.
- Still open Whether Chile has chosen the F-35 over other models, how many jets it would buy and what they would cost.
- Power Index Chile ranks 3rd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 63.6 points (October 2026 edition).
In Plain English
The FACh is the Fuerza Aérea de Chile, the Chilean Air Force, and its commander in chief is the force’s top officer, named by the president. The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat stealth fighter built by the US company Lockheed Martin, and it is called fifth generation because of its radar-evading design and advanced sensors.
The F-5 is an older Northrop fighter that Chile has flown since 1976, and the F-16 is the American jet that Chile already operates, 46 of them by the count of BioBioChile. A foreign military sale is a deal in which the US government buys and delivers American weapons for another government, so Washington has to approve it.
Chile’s outgoing air force commander said on Friday 30 October 2026 that the country is preparing to bring in a fifth-generation fighter, and the Chilean television outlet Meganoticias reported it as an announcement that Chile is preparing to buy the US-built F-35. No number of jets, price or delivery date has been given.
General Hugo Rodríguez González spoke at the change-of-command ceremony of the Fuerza Aérea de Chile before handing the force to General Leonardo Romanini, with President José Antonio Kast and former presidents Gabriel Boric and Michelle Bachelet in attendance. For US readers the story matters because the F-35 is built by Lockheed Martin, so any sale would be an American defense export that Washington has to approve for Chile.
What Was Announced at the Change of Command
Meganoticias reported that Rodríguez, speaking before he handed over the force, announced that Chile is preparing to acquire the F-35. He gave no further details, and the passages the outlet quotes speak of a fifth-generation aircraft without naming the model.
Rodríguez said that preparing to bring in a fifth-generation aircraft will be demanding and will need education, infrastructure, digital integration and training. He added that institutions do not last because of their equipment alone but because of their values, according to the Spanish text printed by Meganoticias.
Rodríguez had led the force since 2022, and Kast named General Leonardo Romanini as his successor on Tuesday 13 October 2026. Pauta wrote on that day that Romanini, until then chief of the Joint Staff of the armed forces, formally takes up his duties on 5 November 2026.
Why the F-5 Fleet Is Running Out
The F-5 fighters arrived in Chile in 1976, and the air force’s planning director, General Milton Zablah, said in September that the aircraft has reached its limit for upgrades. Defense Minister Fernando Barros said on 24 September 2026 that the F-5s are still operational but that the end of their service life is approaching.
Barros announced that day that the Defense Ministry had started the process to replace the F-5, and he said the ministry is open to every model on the market of fourth or fifth generation. He promised a professional, technical and transparent selection, and he told Meganoticias that the F-5s could serve another five to seven years.
Zablah called the F-35 one of the options for replacing the F-5 capability, but not the only one, and he added that it might not prove the obvious choice once studied in depth. The farewell remarks of 30 October go a step beyond that, because Meganoticias presents them as a preparation for buying the F-35 rather than a study of options.
The US Side of the Deal
US ambassador Brandon Judd told Meganoticias, in an interview that BioBioChile summarized on 8 September, that Washington is in talks with Chile on all options for military cooperation, and he judged that Chile can reach the point of operating the F-35. BioBioChile noted at the time that his remarks were not an announcement of a purchase.
The Defense Ministry told BioBioChile on 17 June that Chile faces no restrictions from the United States on acquiring the F-35, and it added that arms purchases are kept confidential for security reasons. Cooperativa wrote on 24 September that a sale would make Chile the first Latin American country to fly an aircraft of this class if Washington authorizes it.
The Unnamed Buyer of 11 Jets
On 9 June 2026 the Pentagon announced a US$154 million Navy contract for Lockheed Martin to buy long-lead parts for 11 F-35 jets destined for an undisclosed foreign customer under the Foreign Military Sales program, according to Air Data News. Chilean media then asked whether Chile was the buyer, and the Defense Ministry neither confirmed nor denied it, a sequence covered in an earlier report on the 11 secret F-35 jets.
Cooperativa wrote on 6 April that the Chilean Air Force refueled F-35s in the air during the FIDAE air show, a maneuver it said put the F-35 first in the race to replace the F-5 and the oldest F-16s. No public document links the 11-jet order to Chile, and no public US arms-sale notification for an F-35 sale to Chile has surfaced.
What It Means for You
For US investors and industry, a Chilean order would add a Latin American customer to the F-35 program of Lockheed Martin, though no contract, value or delivery schedule is public. The only dollar figure announced for the unnamed 11-jet order is the US$154 million long-lead contract, which covers early parts and not the aircraft.
For US policy watchers, the story shows the closeness of the security tie between Washington and the Kast government, which has also joined the Shield of the Americas, a US-led security pact. A sale would also need approval from the US government, which controls exports of the aircraft.
What Is Not Known
The number of jets, the price and the delivery date have not been disclosed, and the Defense Ministry has said arms purchases are kept confidential. It is also unclear whether the outgoing commander described a decision already taken or a plan still under study, since the quoted passages do not name the F-35 and Pauta’s report of the ceremony does not mention the remarks.
No US government notification of an F-35 sale to Chile has surfaced, and the buyer of the 11-jet order announced in June has not been named. The Defense Ministry said in June that Chile usually reports its acquisition processes in good time, which leaves open when the details will become public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chile buying the F-35?
Chile’s outgoing air force commander said on 30 October 2026 that the country is preparing to bring in a fifth-generation fighter, which Meganoticias reported as the F-35. No contract, number of jets or price has been made public.
Who would sell Chile the F-35?
The F-35 is built by the US company Lockheed Martin, and a sale to Chile would need approval from the US government. The Chilean Defense Ministry said in June that Chile faces no US restrictions on buying it.
Why is Chile replacing its F-5 fighters?
The F-5s have served since 1976 and have reached their limit for upgrades, according to the air force’s planning director. Defense Minister Barros started the replacement process on 24 September 2026.
Would Chile be the first Latin American F-35 operator?
Cooperativa wrote on 24 September that Chile would become the first Latin American country to operate a fighter of this class if the United States authorizes it. The sale itself has not been confirmed.
Who is the new Chilean Air Force commander?
General Leonardo Romanini, named by President Kast on 13 October 2026, previously led the Joint Staff of the armed forces. Pauta wrote that he formally takes up his duties on 5 November 2026.
Sources: Meganoticias, change of command and F-35 announcement, 30 October 2026; Pauta, change of command ceremony, 30 October 2026; Pauta, Romanini named air force commander, 13 October 2026; T13, Barros announces F-5 replacement process, 24 September 2026; Cooperativa, government plan for the air force, 24 September 2026; Meganoticias, Barros on the F-5 fleet, 24 September 2026; BioBioChile, air force on the F-35 option, 11 September 2026; BioBioChile, US ambassador Judd on the F-35, 8 September 2026; BioBioChile, Defense Ministry on the F-35, 17 June 2026; Cooperativa, F-35 refueling at FIDAE, 6 April 2026; Air Data News, Pentagon contract notice of 9 June, 12 June 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief