[ The Defenstar ] Argentina to buy inferior and more expensive JF-17 over FA-50 due to UK
Argentia has decided to buy 12 FC-1 ‘Xiaolong’ a.k.a. JF-17 Block-3 jets from China for 664 million USD (55 million per unit) rejecting other fighters on offer including the South Korean FA-50.
India had not offered its Tejas fighter due to geopolitical reasons, however this deal helped to finally reveal the unit price of the Block-3 version of JF-17, which is 55.3 million dollars; far more expensive compared to the Tejas Mk-1A of India which has the unit price of 42-43 million USD despite having a better flight control system, proven GE-F404 engine, better AESA radar and capability to carry Brahmos-NG supersonic cruise missile.
The reason behind Argentina selecting overpriced yet low quality Chinese JF-17 despite its 4 crashes (which killed 2 Pakistani pilots) is its close ties with China, and strained relations with Britain (due to the Falklands war). Britain supplies multiple components of FA-50. While Pakistan has replaced the Chinese ejection seats in its JF-17s with British Martin-Baker ejection seats after ejection failure during JF-17 crashes in 2011 and 2016, the Argentinian version will be fitted with Chinese ejection systems due to Argentina’s sour relations with Britain.
Pakistan was also planning to replace JF-17’s Chinese made avionics with French avionics due to the high failure rate of Chinese systems which resulted in 2016 crash. However, Argentina would be using unreliable Chinese avionics on these fighters.Argentina had tried to buy jets from a few other countries in the world over the past couple of years but always fallen short due to a lack of funds or British objections.
China has most likely offered a loan to Argentina for the purchase. It should be noted that Argentina has already fallen into the ‘Chinese debt trap’, and as per 2010 census around 12000 Chinese permanently live in Argentina with China dominating majority of Argentinian market. Argentina also allowed China to build a satellite tracking facility recently despite protests from UK & other Western countries.
DPA Notes: The recent events seemed to suggest a seismic shift in geopolitics around the world.
China is definitely unlikely to be isolated given geopolitical differences between various countries of the west with the individual countries around the rest of the world; despite the trend of an anti-sino alliance taking shape.
UK’s adversarial relationship with Argentina had effectively pushed Argentina into overpaying for an inferior aircraft, because many of FA-50 parts are British made.
And given UK’s backstabbed on France with the AUKUS announcement, a clear indication from UK to France and the rest of the European Union, that Boris Johnson meant his words when he said UK will “lead on world stage”.
— 23rd Sept 2021 Edit —
Defenstar made a correction today, after the Argentinian Ministry of Defense clarification that they had not decided on any purchase of supersonic aircrafts of any origin and is still in the stage of technical-economic and financial evaluation of 5 different aircrafts.
The Ministry of Defense informs that, through a note of Authorization of Public Credit Operations, it has requested the inclusion for the 2022 Budget of the authorization to manage credit for up to USD 664 million for the acquisition of multipurpose fighter aircraft, for the surveillance and control of airspace.
Likewise, this ministry clarifies that it has not been issued about the purchase of supersonic aircraft of any origin and is in the stage of technical-economic and financial evaluation of five alternatives.
AI Translated version of the clarification
This correction would invalidate our note written before this editorial update.