Government plans to buy military jets from China via Pakistan

Through a purchase in Pakistan, the government plans to acquire for the first time in history Chinese fighter jets for the Air Force in US $ 664 million. It would also be the first chapter of another military purchase for the Chinese 8×8 armored vehicle army.

Last Thursday, while the government crisis between President Alberto Fernández and his Vice-President Cristina Kirchner was not yet resolved, in the National Congress, the Minister of the Economy, Martín Guzmán, presented the national budget for the fiscal year 2022. It was included, without this being disclosed to the media, a debt taking for these 664 million US dollars for the purchase of at least 12 JF-17 Thunder Block III spaces.

It is an aircraft developed jointly by the Chinese company “Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation” and the Pakistani “Pakistan Aeronautical Comple” at a cost of 50% for each country. This aircraft, whose development began in 1999, is called Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong in the Chinese market.

The JF-17 Thunder is a advanced multifunction fighter aircraft and Lightweight suitable for all climates and day or night as described by companies. They ensure that you have well air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities and has ability to use the most modern weapons which gives “a decisive advantage to the JF-17 over adversaries of the same class”, they add.

Agreement to purchase these Sino-Pakistani planes was initially discussed by former Minister Agustín Rossi and by the Ambassador in Beijing, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, which is in talks to purchase Chinese ground vehicles, as the purchase of the Guaraní 6×6 armored vehicle in Brazil has been delayed.

When Taiana took over, replacing Rossi, it was decided to proceed with the purchase. He is, in fact, one of the government officials who most promotes the military alliance with China, which is still not consolidated.

Even if with the discreet arrival in Buenos Aires last May of a delegation from the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation, this possible purchase has started to be prepared, the contract has not yet been signed and with Argentina’s economic problems this may take a long time or not materialize.

One of Rossi’s accomplishments is that Congress enacted the National Defense Fund, which originally provided $ 30 billion for the purchase of materials and equipment abroad. But supply problems remain serious in the Argentine armed forces.

Even so, the supersonic fighter chosen by the Argentine Air Force (FAA) dskip offers from Russia, US and India. At the end of the Cristina Kirchner government, the government had authorized a budget of 360 million dollars for the purchase of 14 IAI Kfir Block 60. But the Mauricio Macri administration froze it.

Asian sources said they were preparing a military equipment seminar between Taiana and Vaca Narvaja with Chinese authorities to further advance this relationship. It is something that raises awareness in the United States.

Washington has repeatedly expressed its opposition to these links, both to military purchases, to telecommunications and to the construction by Chinese capital of a military base in Ushuaia, the so-called Logistics Pole, which is planned.

At the same time, the military say that the Americans do not make shopping easy at all in the sense that their equipment is expensive and with very difficult conditions to fulfill.

“That you buy a Pakistani Chinese fighter does not imply subordination to the country of origin. I do not think it is that serious,” said a military source consulted.

Specialized sites like Aviacionline, indicated on Monday that the 12 JF-17 Thunder that Argentina plans to buy is of the latest generation. And that the proposed budget would take into account the price of US $ 50 million per unit (the government could not lower it), plus the US $ 20 million for the repair and modernization of runways and infrastructure that would accommodate the new armed. system.

Although the British press had already expressed its concerns on Monday about this Argentinian intention to buy planes from China, given the dispute over the disputed islands of the South Atlantic, including the Malvinas, the new generations of military in Argentina are more while waiting for the acquisitions to be finalized to be able to work that of the origin of the same.

In fact, the armed forces tried to make purchases that they were unable to make because due to an embargo by the United Kingdom against Argentina, equipment that has British components cannot be purchased. For example, in 2015 an attempt was made to buy fighter jets from Sweden and South Korea, but both sellers backed down due to British pressure.