Will Canada and Latin America seek new sources for combat aircraft?
Peru may join Brazil as South American operators of the Saab Gripen. (Photo: Saab)
US-made combat aircraft are being passed over in favour of European types, as Latin America and Canada question their ageing fleet replacement choices.
Despite the Monroe Doctrine, US defence sales to other nations on its own home landmass have been relatively low-level. This has not meant an absence of US-suppled equipment, but much of it has been at the lower end of the capability spectrum and often second-hand.
In the air domain, Chile and Peru are examples of where US sales have neither dominated nor been unimportant. US, European and Russian aircraft seem acceptable as co-existing in a single air force. Canada, being a founder NATO member, has long had a US-dominated (but still mixed) fleet.
In terms of recent signals from the
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