MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile incorporates Dutch frigates and fighter bombers

The Chilean navy incorporated Friday morning two refurbished Dutch frigates in the naval port of Den Helder, Holland.

The flagging ceremony of the frigates "Blanco" and "Latorre" was headed by Chilean Defence minister Jaime Ravinet and Dutch Defence Secretary Cees Van der Knaap.

The "Almirante Blanco Escalada" frigate is the first of four purchased in Holland and once the Chilean crew training period is concluded should be sailing to Chile arriving next February. "Almirante Latorre" is expected next March in Valparaiso.

Following the ceremony Defence minister Jaime Ravinet confirmed that Chile signed a purchase contract for 18 second hand Dutch Air Force F-16 fighter bombers, involving an investment of 185 million US dollars, including refurbishment.

Delivery should be completed in the course of the coming two years.

The Dutch F-16 are similar to the ten brand new F 16 C/D Block 50 units the Chilean Air Force purchased in United States and should be arriving early next year.

With the F-16s the Chilean Air Force expects to have completely renewed its fleet by 2015 which will be replacing the ageing F-5 interceptors and the Mirage fighter bombers Panther and Elkan models, totalling 50 units.

Apparently the Dutch F-16 A/B Block 15 once refurbished will have similar operational and fighter conditions to the ten new units.