Some Weapons Acquisitions Flying Under the Radar

Military hardware spending has been limp for several years in Chile, but there have been some noteworthy acquisitions. Here's the highlights from 2016-18, pulled from the database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

• Four Thales Ground Master air defense radars. The three-dimensional radar system can be used on fixed or mobile platforms, and has an operational range of 470 km and 100,000 feel in elevation. There is no information on which branch of the armed forces bought the radars, and there is no confirmation of delivery.
• Two Airbus Helicopters AS-532 Cougars from France. These are transport helicopters for the Navy that were delivered in 2016.
• Three Hensoldt TRS-4D Multifunction radars from Germany. These 3D radars, with a range of 250 km, were installed on the Navy's three Type 23 frigates.
• MBDA CAMM  air defense missiles (Sea Ceptor). Also part of the modernization of the Type 23 frigates, the Common Anti-Air Modular System was delivered in 2017, according to SIPRI's database. Sea Ceptor has a range of more than 25 km.

Other acquisitions in the database include items that have been in the news already, such as the Black Hawk MH-60M utility helicopters and Hercules KC-130R tankers for FACh.