Trump’s Dangerous Military Reinforcement in Latin America: A Growing Alliance

Original article: El peligroso rearme militar de Trump en Latinoamérica

Under the «Shield of the Americas» doctrine, Washington has intensified its military cooperation with Chile and Argentina in 2026, securing deals for modernizing F-16 fighters, the purchase of armored vehicles and helicopters, while redirecting $52 million from Europe and the Middle East to four aligned countries in the region.

By El Ciudadano Investigative Team

Chile: Modernization of F-16s and Enhanced Cooperation

The year 2026 has solidified Chile as one of the most integrated military partners of the United States in South America. This partnership has primarily been shaped through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, focusing on the fleet of F-16 fighters of the Chilean Air Force (FACh).

The most significant milestone was the awarding of a contract in July 2026, valued at $177 million, to Lockheed Martin for upgrading the FACh’s F-16 fleet to configuration M6.6. The contract, tailored specifically for Chile, has a fixed price of $177,048,070 and includes work extending until November 30, 2032, with operations occurring in Fort Worth (Texas), Greenville (South Carolina), and in Chilean territory.

This modernization is complemented by ongoing technical support for critical systems of the fighter jets. In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded Northrop Grumman a maximum ceiling contract of $488 million for engineering support of the AN/APG-66 and AN/APG-68 radars installed on the F-16 MLU and Block 50, respectively. Chile is among the 21 countries benefiting from this agreement, which will extend until March 2036.

The sustainability of the fleet has also been enhanced. In August 2026, Lockheed Martin received a new engineering and support contract for the Chilean F-16s valued at a maximum of $31.3 million, effective until 2029. Simultaneously, Pratt & Whitney was contracted for the remanufacturing of F100 engine modules that equip the Chilean F-16 MLU, and BAE Systems will provide support and maintenance for the fleet after 20 years of service.

In naval defense, the Chilean Navy formalized an FMS contract with Raytheon in January 2026 for the support of its SM-2 missiles. Specifically for Chile, funds amounting to $311,850, representing 10% of a total contract modification of $58,994,042 awarded to the company, were committed.

Beyond equipment, collaboration has stretched into new dimensions. In May 2026, FACh and the USAF held “Operator Engagement Talks” and “Airman to Airman Talks” in Santiago, discussing topics such as artificial intelligence for information analysis, cybersecurity, and strengthening the National Satellite System (SNSAT), with implementation set for 2026 to grant Chile new capabilities in space observation and data management. Planning for exchanges in 2027 was detailed through the State Partnership Program (SPP) with the Southern Air Force and the Texas Military Department, including analysis of the concept Agile Combat Employment (ACE) and a review of aerial refueling capabilities using the KC-135 platform.

The multilateral dimension has also intensified. In July 2026, Chile’s Minister of National Defense, Fernando Barros, met with the PACOM commander in Hawaii during the participation of the Cochrane frigate in the RIMPAC 2026 exercise, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation in security and interoperability.

Argentina: F-16, Stryker, and the