The American defense company Tiger Century Aircraft has proposed to the Colombian Air Force the purchase of 18 upgraded F-5MR4 Tigre Agil aircraft. This package includes the supply of 10 spare engines, logistical support, and training for 30 pilots, 20 engineers, and 100 mechanics.
The cost of this proposal amounts to $410 million. It is claimed that the delivery of the ready aircraft could occur as early as June-July 2024, and if the customer desires additional upgrades, the work could be completed by the third quarter of 2028. This information was reported by the Infodefensa portal.
It is noted that these F-5MR4 Tigre Agil for the Colombian Air Force are being offered by the aforementioned defense company Tiger Century Aircraft to replace decommissioned A-37B Dragonfly light attack aircraft.
To implement this delivery, 18 F-5 aircraft that were previously in service with the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force are proposed. After their use, these aircraft were returned directly to the USA. It is stated that these planes still have a considerable lifespan left, estimated at 20-25 years of operation with reportedly low operational costs.
In general, regarding the F-5MR4 Tigre Agil, the Tiger Century Aircraft website provides specifications indicating that the onboard electronics are upgraded to a 4th generation standard, and the aircraft is described as something intermediate between the AT-6 and the F-16. More details can be found in the image below:
From Defense Express, we emphasize that in this case, we have a story where the USA is making a new specific offer to maintain its presence in the Latin American market.
Until now, for instance, there have been reports that Colombia is considering acquiring M-346 training-combat aircraft instead of the aforementioned decommissioned A-37B Dragonfly. This suggests that the USA is attempting to penetrate even this segment to prevent competitors from entering its traditional market.
Previously, we reported that the USA allegedly wants to sell its used F-16 MLU to Colombia, and this is about fewer aircraft for Ukraine and again about Gripen.