Defence

The first six of 18 ex-Royal Netherlands Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM fighters destined for service with the Chilean air force left Europe on Monday for a delivery flight via the Canary Islands and Brazil. 

Pictured departing Twenthe air base, the first batch of aircraft included three single-seat fighters and three two-seat trainers. Four of the secondhand platforms carried temporary Dutch registrations over their Chilean markings, which had earlier been applied by Fokker Services (pictured below). 

The surplus aircraft are to be formally accepted into Chilean service on 8 September, and will bolster Santiago’s incoming fleet of 10 new-build F-16C/Ds. Chile has now received four of these, according to Flight’s MiliCAS database, with deliveries of the six single-seat Cs and four two-seat Ds to conclude next year.

Both images © Anno Gravemaker