{"id":10184,"date":"2025-01-06T17:00:47","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T16:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/?p=10184"},"modified":"2025-02-21T22:50:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T21:50:43","slug":"the-first-chilean-viper-twin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/the-first-chilean-viper-twin\/","title":{"rendered":"The first “Chilean Viper trainer”<\/b>"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a protracted competition designated Fighter 2000<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n

Comprising four F-16D and six F-14C Block 50M aircraft, purchase was formalized on February 2, 2002 and, under project designation Peace Puma<\/strong>, all aircraft were manufactured in Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth (Texas, USA) plant between 2004 and 2005.<\/p>\n

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Taking off for its first FACH change-of-command ceremony flypast (photo: Luis Quintana Aranguiz, Pudahuel, 11\/03\/2006).<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Believed to have been first flown in the second half of 2005, the first two-seat trainer was initially used for Chilean Air Force<\/strong> (Fuerza A\u00e9rea de Chile, FACH) crew conversion in the United States.<\/p>\n

Then, it moved to its definitive home base in Iquique (Tarapac\u00e1), where it was allocated to Aviation Group Nr.3<\/strong> (Grupo de Aviaci\u00f3n No.3), a long-lived flying unit with a background on light attack (1992-2003) and helicopter training (1971-1981) operations.<\/p>\n

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Approaching runway 17L after the Great Military Parade (photo: Carlos Ay, Pudahuel, 09\/19\/2008).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Flying with condors<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Once on Chilean soil, it was noted participating in the nation’s traditional Great Military Parade<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

One day after the 2010 great military parade, in turn, it was also involved in the unusual Naval and Maritime Review<\/strong> (Revista Naval y Mar\u00edtima), the second one in Chilean history, marking the nation’s bicentennial over the Valpara\u00edso and Vi\u00f1a del Mar bay area on September 20.<\/p>\n

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Taking off for Chile’s bicentennial naval and maritime review (photo: Carlos Ay, Pudahuel, 09\/20\/2010).<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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It is also known to have participated in assorted FACH ceremonies<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n

Even though the type has participated in several Salitre<\/strong> (Chile), Cruzex<\/strong> (Brazil) and UNITAS<\/strong> multinational exercises, our subject aircraft’s first confirmed appearance actually took place this year in Brazil (see fate below for further details).<\/p>\n

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Full afterburner take off for its sixth great military parade view (photo: Luis Quintana Aranguiz, Pudahuel, 09\/19\/2018).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Originally painted in Peace Puma’s ad-hoc colour scheme<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n

Variants<\/strong><\/h3>\n