After a protracted competition designated Fighter 2000 (Caza 2000) pitting US, French, Swedish and Russian candidates, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was selected by the Chilean government on December 27, 2000 to bring the nation’s fighter force into the XXI Century.
Comprising four F-16D and six F-14C Block 50M aircraft, purchase was formalized on February 2, 2002 and, under project designation Peace Puma, all aircraft were manufactured in Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth (Texas, USA) plant between 2004 and 2005.
Believed to have been first flown in the second half of 2005, the first two-seat trainer was initially used for Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile, FACH) crew conversion in the United States.
Then, it moved to its definitive home base in Iquique (Tarapacá), where it was allocated to Aviation Group Nr.3 (Grupo de Aviación No.3), a long-lived flying unit with a background on light attack (1992-2003) and helicopter training (1971-1981) operations.
Flying with condors
Once on Chilean soil, it was noted participating in the nation’s traditional Great Military Parade ceremony (Gran Parada Militar, usually held on September 19) in 2006, between 2008 and 2010 and then again in 2012, 2018 and 2022 through 2023.
One day after the 2010 great military parade, in turn, it was also involved in the unusual Naval and Maritime Review (Revista Naval y Marítima), the second one in Chilean history, marking the nation’s bicentennial over the Valparaíso and Viña del Mar bay area on September 20.
It is also known to have participated in assorted FACH ceremonies, either commemorating the service’s creation (March 21) or earmarking new commander-in-chief inaugurations, always at El Bosque air base in southern Santiago City.
Even though the type has participated in several Salitre (Chile), Cruzex (Brazil) and UNITAS multinational exercises, our subject aircraft’s first confirmed appearance actually took place this year in Brazil (see fate below for further details).
Originally painted in Peace Puma’s ad-hoc colour scheme (Medium Gray FS 35237 and Grayish Green FS 36152 with Light Gull Gray FS 36440 under surfaces), it migrated to FACH’s dull low-visibility gray standard in or before September 2023.
Variants
- F-16D Block 50M (c/n VM-1).
Identities
- 02-6036: United States Air Force.
- 857: FACH.
Owners & operators
- FACH Aviation Group Nr.3 since delivery in 2006.
Fate
Last noted participating in multinational exercise Cruzex from Natal air base (Río Grande do Norte, Brazil), November 3 through 15, 2024.
Internet References: AirHistory, Airliners, Cybermodeler Online, F-16 Net, FACH, Google Maps, Wikipedia.
