The last meetings with high exponents of the Chinese military industry bring closer the possibility that Argentina accepts the offer of FC-1 Xiaolong fighters.
By iProfessional
13/04/2023 – 11,31hs
After an extensive process, Argentina seems to be definitely approaching the acquisition of multirole fighters of Chinese origin. better known as JF-17 Thunder Block II and manufactured jointly by China and Pakistan, the FC-1 had been evaluated by Argentina in the framework of a study process that began in mid-2022 so that the South American country could renew its fleet of fighters after the withdrawal of the French Mirage aircraft.
The suitability of the JF-17 had already been analyzed by technicians from the Argentine Armed Forces on various visits to the Asian giant. The model had an advantage over the American F-16 —which would actually arrive in Argentina through Denmark— thanks to having a lower cost per flight hour and not having British components, whose sale to Argentina is vetoed by the Kingdom. United.
Although the model chosen by Argentina not yet defined, some signs would indicate that the Chinese offer is one step away from being a winner. Indeed, two meetings at the highest level between Argentine and Chinese defense authorities support the possibility that a definition will materialize before the assumption of a new Argentine government in December 2023.
On April 10, the Defense Minister, Jorge Taiana, received a delegation from China’s State Administration for National Defense Science, Technology and Industry. The ministry reported that the meeting “had the objective of deepening international cooperation between the two countries in the field of the Defense industry”, although it did not specifically mention the negotiation on the planes.
How are the negotiations going?
Meanwhile, the chief of the General Staff of the Argentine Air Force, Xavier Isaac, has also scheduled an interview with authorities from the Chinese National Corporation for the Import and Export of Aerotechnology (CATIC), a state-owned company. in charge of commercializing China’s aeronautical technology.
In fact, although the JF-17s are manufactured in China by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation, CATIC is in charge of offering them abroad and negotiating their export to third countries.
Jorge Taiana, Minister of Defense
According to Zona Militar, on this occasion China it wouldn’t exactly offer the JF-17—made jointly by China and Pakistan—but its entirely Chinese-made version, the FC-1 Xiaolong. The plane, in any case, has the same features as the JF-17, which at the time was listed by a technical commission as a good option for complying “with all the requirements established by the FAA for multipurpose fighters.” .
US pressures for its F-16s
In any case, Argentina has not yet formally ruled out the US supply of F-16s that are owned by the Royal Danish Air Force and that would be delivered through the European country, as long as the United Kingdom agrees to lift the veto that maintains the sale to Argentina of any military material that contains British parts.
In this case, the ejection seats of the F-16 fighters were manufactured by the United Kingdom and that is why Washington requires a British endorsement to close the sale to Argentina.
