Based at Punta Arenas, near the tip of South America’s Patagonia region, the Grupo de Aviación No 12 and its Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIs form the world’s southernmost fighter unit. Santiago Rivas reports on the group, with photography by Katsuhiko Tokunaga.
Grupo de Aviación No 12
When the Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACh, Chilean Air Force) chose the F-16 Fighting Falcon as its new multi-role warplane in the first years of the 21st century, the plan was to establish a fighter force entirely composed of the ‘Viper’. The F-16 would replace the old Mirage 50 Panteras, Mirage 5 Elkans and Northrop F-5E/F Tigre IIIs.
Despite the F-5s’ age, however, the ‘Southern Tigers’ continue to protect Chilean airspace and train new pilots for the force.
‘Viper’ trials
After the first F-16C/D Block 50 jets arrived in January 2006, they deployed to Chile’s southernmost fighter base – Punta Arenas in Patagonia. But it was soon clear that regular operations in the region could be a problem.
Patagonia is famous for its very strong winds, often gusting around 62mph (100km/h), while the area’s soil is typically full of small, round stones that are easily moved by the gales – clearly a foreign object damage (FOD) threat on the runway …
