Colombia set to retire Kfir fighters

With a choice still to be made for its replacement, the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC, Colombian Air Force) is set to retire its Kfir fighters before 2023, Infodefensa reports.

The high costs of maintenance and operation of these ageing jets is said to have spurred the retirement of these iconic jets forward. With Kfir airframes reaching 40 years of age, obtaining spare parts has become increasingly difficult.

Huge maintenance issues first evolved around 2015, and despite these being addressed by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), keeping the nineteen aircraft Kfir-fleet in the air has become painstaking and costly. The FAC is still the largest Kfir user in the world.

The FAC has set its eyes on a variant of the Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon for years to replace the Kfirs, but a final decision has yet to be made. The option to acquire six ex-Royal Danish Air Force F-16 MLU has fallen through, given the age of the jets and the service life left.

The FAC is pursuing its interest in the block 70 variant of the F-16, but funding these new fighters could be a major obstacle for the cash-strapped Colombian government. With the procurement of a fleet of Beechcraft T-6 Texan IIs trainers, replacing the Cessna T-37 Tweet, and a second programme to acquire a successor for the ageing Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, the budget is under pressure.

Photo by Wim Sonneveld