Colombia is looking to acquire six F-16s from the Danish Air Force -newspaper

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Colombian Air Force (FAC) has inquired about the Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft of the Royal Danish Air Force (Flyvevåbnet) recently offered for sale by the European country, at a unit value of US$15 million, according to Infodefensa.com.

Given the interest to start with the delayed renewal of its fighter fleet, Colombia intends to determine the possibilities of purchasing these aircraft and their condition, conditions, and capabilities. In this sense, the FAC would be interested in acquiring at least six units in the information process that began in September 2021 and has been managed with great reserve.

The FAC’s motivation would be based on the options offered to the country by the Directorate of Cooperation and Security Assistance of the United States Air Force, given the statements made by its director, General Brian Bruckbauer, who last year expressed the possibility of transferring aircraft from a third country, an F-16 user, to Colombia, with which to begin to incorporate this platform, as explained to this newspaper by Roberto García, a specialist in aviation issues.

The FAC’s plan would consist of increasing operational availabilities with a new model of combat aircraft, in this case, the F-16, acquiring as far as possible new units year after year.

NO BUGDET

However, regardless of the intentions of the Colombian Air Force, the FAC does not currently have the budget approved for a process of this nature in the public accounts foreseen for 2022.

So far, the investments planned for this year are the purchase of two T-6C Texan-II, a new liaison and transport aircraft (VIP), and the conversion to EW platforms of the two 737-700/800 recently acquired, according to Diego Alvarado, technical and financial specialist, told Infodefensa.com.

With information from Infodefensa