Former President José Jerí has denied the assertions made by current President José María Balcázar regarding the purchase of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets from the United States. On his ‘X’ account, Jerí explained that the acquisition process is still underway and that no specific model has been selected yet. According to Jerí, the project involves the purchase of 24 units, with a budget of US$3.5 billion.
Prime Minister Luis Arroyo indicated that an announcement regarding the chosen aircraft for the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) will be made in April. Balcázar had mentioned that his government would continue with previous decisions, but Jerí clarified that no agreement has been formalized and that the process is still under evaluation.
The FAP has also considered French Rafale F4 and Swedish Gripen E/F fighters as options to replace its aging Mirage 2000P, MiG-29, and Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft. Jerí confirmed that the proposal is still under review by the General Comptroller of the Republic, which must ensure the viability of the allocated budget.
Prime Minister Arroyo reaffirmed that no purchase has been finalized to date and that final decisions will be made after the opening of bids, scheduled for the first week of April, as mentioned in this note.
