Peru’s Fuerza Aérea del Perú (FAP) has secretly signed a contract for 24 F-16 Block 70 fighters from Lockheed Martin, valued at approximately $3.5 billion, overriding an official suspension announced on April 17 by the interim government of José María Balcázar.
This deal confirms the F-16 Block 70 as the winner over competitors like the Saab Gripen E and Dassault Rafale, strengthening Peru’s air sovereignty and U.S. strategic alliance through the Foreign Military Sales program.
The initial order covers 12 aircraft—10 single-seat F-16C and 2 dual-seat F-16D—with an option for 12 more. The package includes advanced AN/APG-83 SABR AESA radar, Viper Shield electronic warfare suite, Auto GCAS collision avoidance, AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles, and AIM-9X Sidewinders, plus logistics support, training, and infrastructure.
These Block 70 Vipers feature 12,000-hour airframes for over 40 years of service, conformal fuel tanks boosting range by 60%, and fifth-generation radar capabilities, positioning Peru’s fleet as Latin America’s most advanced single-engine fighters.
The secretive signing, reported by Peruvian defense sources, addresses the FAP’s capability gap after retiring Mirage 2000s and MiG-29s. Operationally, it ensures superior situational awareness and multirole flexibility against regional peers like Chile’s F-16 Block 50s and Brazil’s Gripens, securing long-term airspace defense with proven U.S. sustainment.