Chile: Any U.S. missile, radar deal under $665 million

[Judi Lynn]

Chile: Any U.S. missile, radar deal under $665 million
Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:45pm EST

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's government said on Thursday any eventual purchase of U.S. missiles and radar equipment will be "infinitely lower" than a possible $665 million purchase the Pentagon has disclosed.

The Pentagon on Thursday advised the U.S. Congress of the possible sale of stinger missiles worth about $455 million, AIM medium-range missiles worth $145 million and Sentinel radar systems worth $65 million.

The notice of the proposed sale is required by U.S. law and the U.S. Congress has the power to reject a transaction, although it rarely does so.

"Those are the maximum figures. If the Chilean Air Force and Army eventually buy those systems in the United States, it will be for an infinitely inferior figure, because the needs do not correspond to those financial amounts," Chilean Defense Minister Francisco Vidal told reporters.

More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5AB5WU20091112?rpc=401

[roody]

1. Who is Chile planning to go to war with? Are these things

made in the US?

[Downwinder]

2. Only effective if the opponent has an air force.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIM-92_Stinger

Might come back to haunt us.

Very effective against Russian helicopters.

[roody]

3. Raytheon---proud sponsor of Democratic

Convention in 2004.

[Braulio]

4. Argentina, Bolivia

Historically Chile has maintained a defensive posture vis a vis Argentina and Bolivia. They routinely purchase weapons which can be used to shoot down fighter bombers coming out of Mendoza. Don't forget Chile is very thin, so it can be reached from bases in Argentina - but the planes have to overfly the Andes, which means placing a few ground to air missiles in the right air corridors can be quite a deterrent. I suspect some of them would also be deployed around Tierra del Fuego.