While final decisions are still pending, Peru has approved the second tranche of funding for the purchase of 24 new multirole fighter jets.
In the midst of the wait for the definition of the future multirole fighter that will be chosen to renew the combat fleet of the Peruvian Air Force (FAP), Congress approved the second tranche of financing destined for the acquisition of 24 next-generation fighter aircraft. The measure was formalized in the Public Sector Borrowing Law for the 2026 fiscal year, which authorizes the Government to carry out debt-raising operations in the local market with the objective of supporting the main modernization projects of the Armed Forces.
From the increase contemplated in said law arises the authorization of the second budgetary tranche that will complete the financing for the purchase of the multirole fighters, one of the most ambitious investments of the defense sector in the last decade. According to what was approved, the amount assigned to the Ministry of Defense amounts to approximately 2.350 billion dollars, a figure that will allow the continuation of the military reequipment program initiated in 2024.
The approval of this second tranche was an indispensable step to move forward with the purchase of the 24 fighters, whose selection process is in its final stage. The Peruvian Air Force has already delivered to the Ministry of Defense the technical report with the recommendation of the preferred bidder, which emerges from a list made up of three models: the Rafale F4 from Dassault Aviation (France), the F-16 Block 70 from Lockheed Martin (U.S.), and the Gripen E/F from Saab (Sweden). With this definition, the country prepares to finalize a strategic decision that will mark the future of its air power for the coming decades.
The extensive evaluation process began more than a year ago and has involved official visits, technical presentations, and high-level bilateral negotiations. In August, a delegation headed by the then Minister of Defense, Walter Astudillo, traveled to Sweden to learn about the capabilities of the Gripen E/F and of the GlobalEye early-warning system, proposed as a complement. Days later, the same delegation traveled to France, where the comprehensive Rafale package was presented, which includes cooperation in maritime and satellite surveillance. For its part, the U.S. offer gained momentum in September, after approval by the State Department of a possible sale of 12 F-16 Block 70 under the FMS program, valued at 3.420 billion dollars.
The replacement of the veteran Mirage 2000P and MiG-29, with more than four decades of service, is a priority for the FAP, which seeks to recover air-superiority and immediate-response capabilities in the face of external threats. As stated at the time by the Commander General of the Air Force, Air General Carlos Enrique Chávez Cateriano, “we urgently need new aircraft; if we do not do so, we will be left unprotected.” The plan contemplates the acquisition of the 24 fighters in two batches of 12 units, together with a comprehensive package of logistical support, technology transfer, and participation of the national industry.
If the disbursement of the new allocation is carried out, and with the review process of proposals by the FAP having concluded, Peru finds itself facing an imminent decision that will allow the materialization of the most important modernization of its combat aviation in more than forty years, marking a milestone in the strategic projection of its national defense.
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