Two Jets, Two Camps: The Fighter Race Quietly Splitting South America
How South America split into two rival fighter-jet camps, one built around Sweden and Brazil, the other around the United States, and why it matters.
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Defense Monitor Brazil Two Jets, Two Camps: The Fighter Race Quietly Splitting South America By Lachlan Williams · June 26, 2026 · 11 min read Daily Brief The morning intel from across Latin America. Free. Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We never share your email. Defense Key Facts —The split. South America’s air forces are dividing into two camps, one built around Sweden’s Gripen and Brazil’s Embraer, the other around America’s Lockheed Martin F-16. —Gripen camp. Brazil ordered 36 jets and assembles part of the fleet at home; Colombia signed for 17 in a deal worth roughly $3.4bn. —F-16 camp. Argentina bought two dozen second-hand jets from Denmark; Peru reversed course and chose new-build F-16s after first leaning toward the Gripen. —The hidden lever.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Rio Times.
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