Lockheed Martin offers Peru 24 F-16s for the price of 12, with a catch
April 17, 2026
Lockheed is now offering 24 F-16 Block 70s to Peru for the price of 12 by sweetening the deal and trimming down the overall support package. Peru’s decision to select the F-16 is now considered all but certain.
Lockheed offers 24 F-16 for the price of 12, kind of
La República reported on Tuesday that Lockheed Martin has updated its original offer from 12 to 24 fighter jets. The Peruvian Ministry of Defence has not yet officially confirmed the selection of the F-16 Block 70.
Looks like Saab already has caught wind of the results of the @fapperu with the F-16 taking it.
— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) April 14, 2026
They issued a withdrawal order if not updated by Thursday. https://t.co/1a9AM9tBr1
Lockheed has improved its initial proposal to sell 12 Block 70 fighters for $3.42 billion to 24 jets of the same model for $3.5 billion. La República reports this aligns with the Peruvian budget available for the fighter jets.
However, this is not a straight discount. Pricing of fighter jets is extremely complicated, as these deals come with munitions, maintenance support, support equipment, spares, etc.
To meet Peru’s requirement for 24 jets at $3.5 billion, Lockheed has slashed an unknown amount of equipment and armament from its original 2025 proposal.
La República says, “this year 12 F-16 Block 70 units will be purchased for US$2.0 billion, and the other 12 for US$1.5 billion in 2027.”
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Why Peru has selected the F-16
AGN previously reported that Peru was doubling its order from 12 to 24 fighter jets. This has now been confirmed by the Peruvian publication, La República. The Peruvian government changed after initially reporting that it was purchasing the Gripen.
The publication posulates that this massive discount may be one of the main reasons why Peru has selected the F-16 offer. That said, there is almost certainly a major geopolitical component.
Purchasing fighter jets is similar to a 40-year marriage contract between countries, and these contracts are extremely sensitive to prevailing political sensitivities. There was also reporting that the US may be offering Peru Major Non-NATO Ally status if it selects the F-16s.
📍#Peru (🇵🇪)
— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) February 18, 2026
The @MindefPeru has distributed the first $340 Million USD to the @fapperu to officially initiate the MiG-29 & Mirage 2000 replacement program.
The current competitors are the @LockheedMartin F-16V, @Dassault_OnAir Rafale & @Saab Gripen E. pic.twitter.com/Xm8ZjiyLAE
As La República notes in February, “then–Prime Minister Eduardo Álvarez stated that the choice of fighter model would be made ‘based on the geopolitical changes established by the change in the U.S. presidency.'”
The F-16 vs Gripen vs Rafale South American dual
The Lockheed Martin F-16, Saab Gripen, and Dassault Rafale are currently competing for South American contracts. The Rafale has not won any contracts, perhaps because it is a larger, more capable, and expensive jet competing in the mid-tier market. This may be excessive for South American requirements.
Argentina selected the F-16, partly due to a long-standing British veto on the Gripen, while Brazil has chosen the Gripen, partly because of technology transfer agreements and having Embraer locally assemble them under license. Brazil’s decision is, in large part, industrial.
Colombia has chosen the Saab Gripen over the F-16, in part because of the current leftist government’s sour relations with Washington. Chile is currently moving to upgrade its existing F-16 fleet.
In Canada, a battle is playing out between the high-end F-35 and the lower- or mid-tier Gripen E. This is partly due to geopolitics, partly because Saab is offering some local shared production, and partly because Saab is the only competitor claiming it can integrate its jet into NORAD.
Featured Image: Lockheed Martin
