DefensePeruvian Air Force acquisition plan for 24 combat aircraft faces procurement scrutiny
Peru’s Contraloría, the national audit watchdog, reported procedural observations on December 12 regarding the technical dossier for the Peruvian Air Force’s planned acquisition of 24 new fighter jets.
The observations target the validation process of the Air Force’s technical documents, a step required before information is submitted to the Armed Forces Procurement Agency for negotiations with foreign vendors.
“The procedure is to send the report to the Contraloría. There were some observations, but only on form, none on substance,” a Ministry of Defense source said to local media.
The Air Force is considering three fighter platforms: Dassault Rafale, Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70, and Saab Gripen E/F. The acquisition has a congressional budget ceiling of $3.5 billion for 24 aircraft.
The US government authorized the sale of 12 F-16 Block 70 aircraft for $3.42 billion, which covers only half the Air Force’s stated requirement.
Saab’s proposal for 24 Gripen E/F fighters at $3.5 billion is reported to align most closely with both technical and economic requirements.
The government led by José Jerí Oré has not yet introduced measures to increase the acquisition budget, leaving the procurement process to advance within current financial parameters.
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