South American Arms Race

[SAS73]

The First 4 of a total of 12 Kfir C-10 has arrived to Colombia this week. Hopfully they will be presented next week by the Colombian Air Force

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That's great news SAS73 make sure to put up a picture or two. 

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A little dated but still South American news

 552nd supports presidential visit to Peru
Capt. Renee Powell - 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron
In November 2008, the 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron received a short-notice tasking to deploy to Peru to provide support to the president of the United States. The president was in Lima, Peru, to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Conference along with other world leaders.

Due to the in-operable status of the radar sites that normally provide Air Traffic Control support along the Peruvian coast, the 552nd Air Control Wing was called to provide radar and radio coverage before and during the president’s visit.

The 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron along with augmentation from the 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron answered the call and deployed to two locations in Peru. The E-3 Sentries and their crews journeyed to the city of Chiclayo, located on the north coast of Peru, while additional air battle managers were imbedded with the United States Secret Service at the second location in Lima.

While airborne, the crew operating the Airborne Warning and Control System was in constant communication with the ABMs and Secret Service members on ground. The ABMs on the ground had the enormous responsibility of translating for the Peruvian and Secret Service, then relaying information back to the crews operating the AWACS in the air.

Thanks to the diversity of the air battle manager career field, the ABMs on the ground in Lima were specifically selected for their ability to speak Spanish fluently, which enabled them to communicate effectively with host-nation leadership. The Peruvian government provided each AWACS crew with a host-nation rider while flying over their territory.

“It is a very good professional experience in which it is a pleasure to meet and know new friends that are very nice and that share the same professional likes. They made us feel as if we were at home,” said host-nation rider, Maj. Luis Brignardello.

The deployed AWACS team flew sixteen missions from an austere airfield, totaling over 72 hours time-on-station. When asked about his most memorable experience, Lt. Col. Eddie Boxx, director of operations, 964th AACS, said two things stood out.

“The teamwork and the expeditionary mindset of the 552nd ACW was unbelievable. We were given a short-notice, high-visibility, ‘no-fail’ tasking. The aviators, along with the communication, security police, and maintenance personnel, just made it all come together,” Colonel Boxx said.

“As we woke up the first morning in Peru to the sounds of roosters crowing, loud salsa music and South American traffic noise, it just proves that we have to be ready to deploy anywhere, anytime at a moment’s notice,” he added.

The crews enjoyed exploring the local community. The local farmers’ market had a wide array of goods — everything from underwear, guinea pigs (considered a delicacy) and vegetables.

Lt. Col. Pamela Randall, 964th AACS, coordinated with members of the SOUTHCOM team to arrange a tour of the newly discovered ruins of the King of Sipan’s tomb. The crews viewed intact tombs as well as new excavation sites that were partially buried. Afterwards, they visited the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan (Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipan) where the artifacts from the excavation have been cleaned and preserved.

Lt. Col. Greg Kent, deployed commander, 552nd Operations Support Squadron, had nothing but praise for his team.

“We battled a crumbling runway, extreme bird conditions, and a remote operating location. The wing took it all in stride and really hit a home run,” he said.

“Comm, maintenance, and the ops crews worked hard, did things safely and took care of each other in a place we had never heard of until we deployed there,” Colonel Kent said.

“Initially, the locals were not sure what to make of ‘Bush’s secret agents,’ which is how the local paper described us, but after a few days of exemplary behavior, the Peruvians realized we were professionals and were there to help make the summit a success,” said Colonel Kent.

He praised his Airmen saying, “the men and women of the 552nd truly represented the high caliber of professional USAF aviators while deployed to Peru. They provided flawless support for the president while at the same time serving as ambassadors in the international community.”

(March 6, 2009)

Source
http://www.tinkertakeoff.com/article.htm?intRecID=16683

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SAS73 is there any real chance of this happening?  What is the feel for this in Colombia?


Hugo Chavez says Venezuela ready for war with Colombia
MEXICO CITY, March 9 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said the country's armed forces are ready for a war with Colombia should Bogota provoke it.

"In case of a provocation on the part of Colombia's armed forces or infringements on Venezuela's sovereignty, I will give an order to strike with Su aircraft and tanks. I will not let anyone disrespect Venezuela and its sovereignty," Chavez said Sunday on his weekly TV show, "Hello, President."

Chavez said this in response to Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos's recent statements, which said that Colombia's military will keep killing rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on the territory of other states.

Bilateral relations sharply aggravated after Colombia's military bombarded a camp of Colombian rebels in Ecuador in March 2008, killing FARC leader Raul Reyes as well as another 16 rebels.

In response, Chavez ordered the deployment of several thousand soldiers and tanks toward the border with Colombia. Chavez characterized Colombia's actions as violating Ecuador's sovereignty, and called Colombian President Alvaro Uribe "a criminal."

This week, Colombia's National Radio said citing a high-ranking intelligence source that nine people from the FARC General Staff hide in Venezuela and another two in Ecuador. The top management of the staff includes 31 people.

FARC is a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group established in 1960s. It is considered a terrorist organization by the Colombian government, the U.S. and the EU. The group's revenues are believed to be partly obtained from drug trafficking and kidnapping.

Source
http://en.rian.ru/world/20090309/120481975.html

[SAS73]

Colombia wants to Build a military transport plane with Brazil


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A  military transport Aircraft, similar to the Hercules, Colombia wants to build with Brazil   
 
The minister of Defense, Juan Manuel Santos, sustained that the Colombian Government is interested in the society to manufacture this kind of aircraft

"We have agreed to begin a process of industrial complementation in the military part", Santos said to journalists in Brasilia, where yesterday he interviewed with his Brazilian homologous, Nelson Jobim.   
 
The official visited today Thursday to the minister of External Relationships of Brazil, Celso Amorim, and then  Campos traveled to San José's city to visit the plant of the Brazilian Company of Aeronautics (Embraer), fourth builder of airplanes of the world.   
 
Embraer has become an important supplier of the Colombian Air force that has sell 25 SúperTucano AV-29 and AT-27, as well as  transport  and training airplanes manufactured by the Brazilian company that would be the responsible for the project from the similar airplane to the Hercules that the American Lockheed Martin began to manufacture by the middle of the XX century.   
 
According to Santos, Colombia has special interest in this project. "Colombia would participate with money, as partner", and it could also manufacture "some parts" of the plane, Santos explained who pointed that the president's Government Álvaro Uribe aspires to "to foment the aeronautical industry through the Colombian Air force."   
 
Santos framed these conversations with Brazil in the wide cooperation mark that Colombia has thought about in the military area with the rest of the countries of Southamérica and with United States.   
 
He explained that Bogotá has already reached agreements in the military area with Peru, and that as well as it negotiates with Brazil, he also makes it with Chile and that an amplification of the cooperation agreements that has with United States whose new Government has guaranteed the continuity of the call also discusses "Plan Colombia."   
 
In relation to Venezuela and Ecuador, countries with those that the relationship has been muddled again in the last days, Santos declared that Colombia "it is in the best disposition of reaching a cooperation" in order to "to improve the control" border.   
 
"The neighboring countries know about our disposition and God willing we can advance in the same line that we have advanced with Brazil and Peru", Santos said who admitted that "for the time being there are not conversations" in that sense with the Governments from Venezuela and Ecuador.   
 
Nevertheless, he/she affirmed to be convinced that "the fight against the terrorism is of global interest" and that "everybody" it is resolved to collaborate.   
 
EFE

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Nemesis Makes History
Gabriela Machuca Castillo - El Comercio
Translation: Vanessa Castro Chesterton - Living in Peru

Nemesis, Greek goddess of vengeance, is the name Lieutenant Zarate Degolla has chosen to be called while she is in the air.

Officers at La Joya Air Base, the great battle unit stationed in the middle of the Arequipa dessert admire the ease with which FAP Lieutenant Liliana Zarate Degolla lands a MB 339 over a landing strip. Watching her and dressed in a green jumpsuit is FAP Colonel Carlos Enrique Chavez, Air Force Group 4 commander, “She sure is taking care of the wheels on her new plane”, he says.


Though it may not actually belong to her lieutenant Zarate can say that the million dollar piece of machinery manufactured in Italy is hers. And to a certain extent it is true since the Air Macchi has been assigned to her for a few months as she has become the first woman to fly a fighter pilot in the history of Peruvian aviation.

This feat marks an important mile stone for the Peruvian Air Force; it happened eight days ago in La Joya when the young Limenian flew the Air Macchi solo in what was the final test in the advanced course she was taking. She passed along with six other Peruvian Air Force pilots. With another victory in her military career she has managed to live out the dream of many men and women: that of having total control of the sky.

The plane has finally stopped moving. Zarate has been casting quick and superb shadows across the Arequipenian sand for the past 54 minutes. Slowly she lifts the hatch and removes her mask. Her hair is a mess; her cheeks are red and her face is marked by the mask. She hands over the reports of her flight to her mechanic, FAP Senior Non-commissioned Officer Maria del Carmen Churapa, who later tells how she feels a certain kinship with Zarate, though she works just as well with the other pilots, there is something special with the Lieutenant. “Female complicity”, she says. As this goes on Zarate becomes aware of the camera and tries to subtly fix her reddish hair back into a neat ponytail.  She then covers it with a cap which sports the logo of the institution she has worked for for nearly 11 years, ever since she first entered the FAP School of Officers in 1999

Lieutenant Zarate does not remember having wanted to be a pilot as a girl, although she has always had a tie to the Air Force. He father was a technician and studied at the FAP Manuel Polo Jimenez School. “I realized this was my calling once I was in the School of Officers. My confidence then grew as my military career developed”, explains Zarate.

Her disposition and character become evident in the way she speaks and carries herself and it must be this which has led her to be the only woman to fly Zlin and Tucano fighter planes; to have 230 hours of flight time; to have some of the highest grades in her class; to deal with military officers of the opposite sex all day, every day.

Two of her class mate, lieutenants Emerson Gomez Quintanilla and Donovan Ortega Diez say her courage is such that it makes others treat her like any other of her peers and that everyone in the Air Force listens to her. That is why they did not hesitate to cover her in champagne like everybody else on February 22nd when she descended from the Macchi after governing the skies.

FAP Colonel Chavez Cateriano has no doubts that the 26 year old has a promising future and if she continues on the path she is going on now she will fulfill her dream of flying a Mirage M2000 in less than 10 years.

- Lieutenant, what are you afraid of?
- (thinks for a while) I don’t think I’m afraid of anything… well there is one thing, losing.

Source
http://www.livinginperu.com/features-695-history-nemesis-makes-history

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News from Colombian Army

Colombia recived from Russia 4 Mi-17 Helicopters. This new choppers will join the Colombian Army Air Brigade. Also by the end of this month the Colombian Army will recieve 5 more H-60 Blackhawk Helicopters from Sikorsky. this new adquisitions will enforce the army with more air capabilities and transportation for the Infantry forces

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Well its is confirmed that the Colombian Air Force is now flying in Barranquilla 4 new
Kfir C-10 that they received just at the begining of this month. Some sources have said that they are flying twice a day, between 10am a 11pm and de 16 to 18pm. we are waiting for the pictures, as soon I have any one I will be glad and proud to post them here.

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Thanks SAS73 can't wait

[SAS73]

Colombian Air Force Just received yesterday four full operational CASA C-295 Transort planes

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Thanks SAS73 great picture.

[SAS73]

The Colombian Army Received 5 new blackhawk from a total of 25 that will recive for this year. Colombia Has the second largest fleet of helicopters in the Continent and the first of the region. Its almost 120 Helicopters and all in service against the Farc in an counter insurgency irregular war.

On the other hand the Colombian Defense Ministry has 25 to 30 US millions of dollars to purchase a UAV aircraft for inteligence purpose. Colombia show interest in the Predator MQ-1B. But British and Israeli companies have presented some offers in the same aspect to compete with the american proposal.