After having been denied the same by South Korea, Argentina is considering buying JF-17 Thunder aircraft from Pakistan to consolidate its defensive capabilities.
South Korean aerospace corporation KAI allegedly had a deal with the Argentine Air Force to supply it with FA-50 fighter aircraft, but rescinded it as it capitulated to the United Kingdom’s (UK) diplomatic pressure, which is the geopolitical rival of Argentina.
Since the latter occupied the British Overseas Territories (BOTS), namely the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependence, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands in 1982, relations between the United Kingdom and Argentina have been strained since the 1980s. The step led to the undeclared Falklands War, which lasted 10 weeks, ending with a British victory.
Brigadier Xavier Isaac, the Air Chief of the Argentine Air Force, said that KAI had cancelled the security agreement on the grounds that Argentina was financially unstable and could not afford to buy FA-50 jets.
He noted that Argentina was not shocked by Britain’s action as it had long expected this move by KAI.
Brigadier Isaac also reported that the Argentine Air Force is now considering buying Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder Block-III, adding that in 2017, a high-level Argentine Air Force delegation visited Pakistan to examine the fighter jet.
He concluded that Argentina’s acquisition of the JF-17 Thunder Block-III will be a giant leap.
