전투기 칠레, F-16 업그레이드 실시

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록히드 마틴이 칠레와 F-16 업그레이드 계약을 체결했습니다. M 6.6 규격이라고 하고 계약 규모는 1억 7,700만 달러입니다. 2032년 11월 30일까지 완료될 예정이라고 하네요. 

칠레는 F-16C/D 10대와 F-16 AM/BM 36대를 운용중이라고 하는데, 이 중 몇 대나 개량될 지 모르겠네요.

다른 기사에 따르면 총 계약규모가 5억 4,200만 달러라고도 하네요. 그 외 칠레 F-16에는 파이슨4와 더비, JDAM을 운용할 예정이며 링크16, TACAN 시스템은 빠진다고 합니다. 암람과 HARM 역시 사용이 불허됐다가 최근 미의회의 승인을 얻어 도입됐다고 하네요. 

Lockheed Martin secures $177m contract to upgrade Chilean F-16 fighter jets - Airforce Technology (airforce-technology.com)

Lockheed Martin secures $177m contract to upgrade Chilean F-16 fighter jets - Airforce Technology

Lockheed Martin secures $177m contract to upgrade Chilean F-16 fighter jets

A sole source acquisition ensures vital foreign military sales support for the Fuerza Aérea de Chile.

Harry McNeilNovember 1, 2023

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An F-16 of Chile in a multinational and operational exercise. Source: Artejose/Shutterstock

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., based in Forth Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $177m contract to provide support for the Chilean/Fuerza Aérea de Chile F-16 M6.6 Operational Flight Programme and Systems Upgrade, enhancing the capabilities of Chile’s air force.

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The contract is set to enhance the operational capabilities of the Chilean military’s F-16 fleet. Chile’s defence budget is on the rebound and is projected to reach $2.6bn by 2028.

This contract was announced by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It marks a step in providing Chile with the necessary support to maintain its military readiness and capabilities. The contract is scheduled for completion by November 30, 2032.

In a notable move, this contract is classified as a sole source acquisition. The work will be carried out in Fort Worth, Texas, Greenville, South Carolina, and Chile itself.

The F-16 M6.6 Operational Flight Programme and Systems Upgrade are set to introduce technology and enhancements to the Chilean F-16 fleet, ensuring its continued relevance and effectiveness globally. The F-16 has been a cornerstone of the Fuerza Aérea de Chile’s capabilities.

According to GlobalData’s “Chile Defense Market 2023-2028” report, Chile has procured ten F-16C/D and 36 F-16 AM/BM from Lockheed Martin for its Air Force.

Lockheed Martin reported robust Q3 financial results on October 17, 2023, with net sales reaching $16.9bn, showing growth from the previous year. Although net earnings were slightly lower at $1.7bn, the company generated $2.5bn in free cash flow, with a portion returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. 

With completion expected by 2032, this initiative ensures that the Chilean F-16 fighter jets will remain an asset in the region for years.

Lockheed Martin Awarded $542 Million Chilean Air Force Contract To Upgrade F-16 Fighter Jets - MilitaryLeak

Lockheed Martin Awarded $542 Million Chilean Air Force Contract to Upgrade F-16 Fighter Jets

Chilean Air Force F-16 Fighter JetLockheed Martin Awarded $542 Million Chilean Air Force Contract to Upgrade F-16 Fighter JetsNovember 2, 2023By Admin

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $177,048,070 firm-fixed-price and a maximum amount to include a time and material ceiling amount of $100,000 on contract for F-16 Systems Program Office Foreign Military Sales support. This contract provides for Foreign Military Sales support to Chilean Air Force/Fuerza Aérea de Chile F-16 M6.6 Operational Flight Program and Systems Upgrade. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas; Greenville, South Carolina; and Chile, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2032. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Chile. This contract was a sole source acquisition. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $177,148,070 are being obligated at time of award. The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity.

Chile currently operates 44 F-16s. That includes 10 Block 50 models purchased in the early 2000s, as well as 36 older models bought second-hand from the Netherlands. Reports that Chile would look to upgrade their existing F-16 fleet first emerged in 2017, but final details had not been made public. Analysts have also speculated that Chile may look to buy a small number of new F-16s to supplement its fleet. The upgrades included in this potential sale include 19 Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS); six inert MK-82 (500LB) general purpose bomb bodies; two MXU-650KB Air Foil Groups (AFG); 44 LN-260 Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) and 49 Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radios (MIDS JTRS). Also included are avionics equipment and software upgrades, new radios, upgraded IFF transponders, secure communications equipment and other parts.

It recently became clear that the Chilean F-16s would be equipped with Israeli Python 4 and Derby missiles as well as JDAM. Furthermore the Chilean F-16s will lack the standard TACAN system because there is no use to it in South America. The airframes also lack the possibility to fire AMRAAM or HARM missiles. This is prohibited by the US. The MLU birds are adapted in the same way. Link 16 terminals are also absent on the new birds and are removed in the MLU airframes upon delivery. In later years the usage of both the AMRAAM and HARM missiles was approved by US Congress and introduced into the inventory of the FACh. For low-level navigation the Chilean Air Force bought 25 GEC-Marconi Atlantic pods from the Netherlands. They bought 60 of them in the nineties but never put them in operational use since low-level flying within NATO is replaced by medium and high level flying due to changed operational circumstances.

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M6.5 tape

From this tape onwards there will be a difference between the European numbering sequence and the US. Funding for the M-tapes was extended through the years up untill number M6. The normal succession would mean an M7 would be next. This will be the case for the US (with their F-16s lasting untill well into the 2030s). Since the European F-16s are much older and reaching the end of their lifespan (2020-2030) it was difficult to convince them to extend funding for more updates to the F-16s. Specifically the Netherlands and Norway weren't eager since they already opted to replace the F-16 with the F-35 with fleet introduction starting in 2019 and F-16 phase out around 2024). Much of the updates found in tape M6.5 will be the same as tape M7.

Rectification of some earlier weapon integration shortcomings
Integration of new weapons (JASSM, JDAM, EGBU-12, SDB, AIM-120D and AIM-9X)
Integration of advanced racks (BRU-69), pylons, adapters and the UAI (ensuring nuclear surety and compatibility)
Update of the Link-16 protocol
Upgrade of the AN/AAQ-14 interface software
Update of the AN/ALR-56M system
Update of the GPS system

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Derby가 여기에 팔리는군요.

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뭔가의 이유로 암람을 못 사거나 안 사는 나라들한테 잘 팔리는 것 같습니다.