ex-moloc

Just to keep this one up-to-date, Chile so far has received 10 new F-16 C/D Block 50+ models and 18 used F-16 A/B MLU from the Netherlands. It is speculated that a follow on order for both models should follow (additional 6 new F-16 C/D Block 50+ models and another 14 used F-16 A/B MLU from the Netherlands).

Here are some pictures I took (note different camouflage):

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1181635&size=L

FACH F-16A MLU

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1161584&size=L

FACH F-16B MLU

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1161071&size=L

FACH F-16C Block 50+

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1121786&size=L

FACH F-16D Block 50+

This is all the info I have been able to gather so far:

Chile became the first customer of this newer version of the Mirage family, which consisted basically in a Mirage 5 powered by the Snecma Atar 9K-50 engine also used by the Mirage F1, when in 1979 bought 14 single-seaters and 2 two-seaters. Due to the tensions with Argentina at that time, the first 8 single-seat fighters were Mirage 5F that were quickly modified by Dassault to the Mirage 50FC standard.

During 1982-83 the FACh received 6 new built single-seaters Mirage 50C and 2 two-seaters Mirage 50DC (which used the old Snecma Atar 09C).
These planes were assigned to the Grupo Nº 4 on September 15th, 1980 and initially based in Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez (Pudahuel). In order to provide with fighter cover the extreme south area of Chile the Grupo Nº 4 moved to the base Carlos Ibáñez near Punta Arenas during March 1986.

One of the two-seaters (516) crashed during take-off and was replaced by an ex-ADLA Mirage III BE. The operational challenges of operating what was essentially a fair weather only fighter in such an extreme environment as the Magellan Straits proved important, specially in the areas of navigation, range and bad weather.

Sometime in 1986 the Pantera program was started by ENAER in conjunction with IAI to fix some of those issues. The program became a perfect example of the "scope creep" than can affect modernisation programs. What started as a simple fix became a mayor program where important electronic subsystems were relaced and/or modified, like the replacement of the Agave by the Elta EL/M-2001B radar, a new HUD and a new INS, and structural changes were made like the addition of canards, the extension of the nose, the addition of an in-flight refueling probe and the late replacement of the landing train because the aircraft was now overweight. As a result, it was not until mid-1993 that the first production Pantera was rolled out by ENAER, only 7 years after the start of the program. After the successful Aguila modernisation program for the Hawker Hunters the FACh fell to the trap of the "second project syndrome".

There seem to be a mystery surrounding the current fleet of Mirage Pantera as some fotos clearly show FACh Serial Numbers like 518 or 555, which are unheard of. Possible solutions to the mystery can be a disinformation campaign by the FACh or that the reported rumors of the FACh acquiring some of the South African Cheetas, a close cousin of the Pantera in fact, were actually true.

Avions Marcel Dassault Mirage 50FC fighter-bomber
S/N C/N Unit Built Bought Disposition Notes
501 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 01)
502 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 03)
503 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 05)
504 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 08 )
505 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 16)
506 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 23)
507 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 28 )
508 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA 30)

Avions Marcel Dassault Mirage 50C fighter-bomber
S/N C/N Unit Built Bought Disposition Notes
509 – Grupo 4 – – –
510 – Grupo 4 – – – First production Pantera.
511 – Grupo 4 – – –
512 – Grupo 4 – – –
513 – Grupo 4 – – –
514 – Grupo 4 – – – Pantera prototype.

Avions Marcel Dassault Mirage 50CD fighter-bomber
S/N C/N Unit Built Bought Disposition Notes
515 – Grupo 4 – – –
516 – Grupo 4 – – Crashed ??/??/??

Avions Marcel Dassault Mirage IIIBE fighter-bomber
S/N C/N Unit Built Bought Disposition Notes
516 – Grupo 4 – – – (ADLA ???)

That's it. I would like now to fill all the blank spaces !
Mercy!

Again muchas gracias Flying Frog!

Thank you Flying Frog and Rafighter!

Yes, I am Andres Contador, I am Chilean and live in Santiago. All my FACH pictures you'll find on A.net are taken at SCL airport.

Now, I have the general idea about the Mirage M50 Pantera (as they are locally called), as well as detailed info about the Mirage 5 bought from Belgium (locally called Elkan), but I don't have any 'hard' information about the Mirage M50 Pantera , like serial/construction numbers, when delivered, exactly which airframes were new build and which were reconfigured, etc. Since I have not been able to find this neither in the English speaking world nor in the Spanish one, I though I might try the French one !

Hi you All,

First please excuse me but I cannot speak french - sorry!
I am the photographer of the pictures that Tuckson posted (I also have pictures of almost all other active FACH airplanes on A.net).
I am posting this because I need some help in finding information about the FACH Mirage 50s. I have not been able to locate any information about the original airplanes delivered from France in the early 80's, but I believe it were 8 newly built Mirage 50s and 8 ex AdlA refurbished Mirage 5s. Do you know were I can find more information about these airplanes, in particular their construction numbers?

Many thanks for your help - mercy!