For the first time, a Chilean KC-135 refueled two U.S. F-35s that will take part in FIDAE 2026, marking the traditionally strong strategic ties between Chile and the U.S.
A Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile – FACh) KC-135E tanker aircraft refueled two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs for the first time, the service and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said on Apr. 5, 2026. The stealth jets were on their way to the FIDAE 2026 defense exhibition in the South American country, which is being held in Santiago from April 7 to 12.
SOUTCOM called it a representation of “Western Hemisphere partnership and readiness,” adding they are “united […] to ensure security and stability in the region.” The FACh said that the operation demonstrated “interoperability and a high level of readiness of the military aviators.”
Both the fighters are part of the F-35 Lightning II Demonstration Team. According to flight tracking account ‘Coronet deployments’, the two F-35As arrived at the Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez international airport in Santiago on Apr. 4.
Histórico: #FACH realizó exitoso reabastecimiento en vuelo a aeronaves F-35 de la USAF, empleando un KC-135 en espacio aéreo internacional. La operación evidencia interoperabilidad y alto nivel de preparación de los aviadores militares. pic.twitter.com/9m4WjDaiNw
— Fuerza Aérea de Chile (@FACh_Chile) April 5, 2026
They were supported by a KC-135R Stratotanker out of MacDill AFB, Florida, before the FACh KC-135E took over in international airspace. The exhibition’s official page also reported on Mar. 22 the confirmation of the presence of a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, which will be stationed at Pudahel Air Base.
Confirmamos la presencia del P-8 Poseidon de la @USNavy en la próxima edición de #FIDAE2026.
📅 7 – 12 de Abril
📍 Base Aérea Pudahuel pic.twitter.com/Yc4Ak8rgyQ
— FIDAE (@FIDAE_OFICIAL) March 22, 2026
An Airbus A400M and an Embraer KC-190 Millenium also landed in Chile for the FIDAE 2026, the expo’s page announced on Apr. 5 and Apr. 6, respectively. These aircraft are expected to participate in a future transport aircraft tender program the FACh is expected to announce, as it gets a host of modernization programs underway.
The deployment to Chile is among many U.S. steps to consolidate its traditional influence in the backyard of Latin America, with the latest one being the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. U.S Navy elements from that deployment are still active in the Caribbean Sea, with the USS Iwo Jima Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) and the USS San Antonio conducting routine operations.
With President Donald Trump’s hardline on Cuba against the government there, the F-35s in Chile mark Washington’s strategic resurgence in Central and South America, after decades of involvement in West Asia.
Chile-US ties and Chilean Air Force fleet
The U.S. Air Force had previously participated in the FIDAE, sending the F-22 Raptor Demonstration team both in 2022 and 2024. The 2022 edition also saw a B-52 Stratofortress flyover.
The refueling of the F-35s from the FACh KC-135Es reflects traditionally close strategic and diplomatic ties between Chile and the U.S. This is especially true if we consider that the KC-135Es are former U.S. Air Force aircraft that were later sold to Chile.
Western Hemisphere partnership and readiness:
A Chilean Air Force KC-135 provides in-flight refueling for two @usairforce F-35 Lighting II aircraft near Chile. The fighters are part of a demonstration team in Chile for the FIDAE air and space show in Santiago from April 7 -… pic.twitter.com/i4igCSjxRY
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 5, 2026
The rest of the FACh’s inventory is overwhelmingly American. Chile operates three KC-135Es it received from the U.S. beginning in 2010, with the last one arrived on Mar. 9, 2012 at the facilities of the Aviation Group No. 10 at Pudauel Air Base.
The KC-135Es meet the refueling needs of the FACh’s 46 F-16 Fighting Falcons, split into 11 F-16C/D Block 50s and 35 F-16AM/BM Block 15/20 MLU jets. Eleven twin-seat F-16Bs and F-16Ds are used as trainers.
Thirty-six F-16s are also slated to be upgraded to the M6.6 operational flight program, following a $177 million contract awarded to Lockheed in November 2023 under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
The service also operates three E-3D Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, according to the 2026 World Air Forces report. These were received in 2022 after acquisition from the Royal Air Force (RAF), with two aircraft operational while one is used for harvesting spare parts.
🇺🇸🇨🇱 | No es solo combustible lo que se transfiere… es interoperabilidad, precisión y un claro mensaje: Chile está listo para operar al más alto nivel. Es la prueba concreta de que la @FACh_Chile juega en las grandes ligas de la aviación militar mundial #Capacidades https://t.co/JPtEWY2scr pic.twitter.com/c0VvB9AxuX
— Lautaro (@Lautaro_Chile) April 6, 2026
Chile also has other tanker-transport aircraft, specifically four KC-130Rs received from the U.S. Navy between 2015 and 2016, three of which are now operational. They are used to refuel the FACh’s 13 F-5E/F Tiger IIIs, with the ‘F’ variants used as trainers. Group 10 also operates other U.S.-origin aircraft for the transport/utility role, including one each of Boeing B-767-300ER, B-737-330QC, and B-737-58N.
Chilean F-16 modernization
As mentioned earlier, the November 2023 $177 million contract to upgrade 36 F-16 Block A/B 15/20s is expected to be completed by Sep. 30, 2032, with work carried out at Fort Worth, Texas. The contracting notice says the M6.6 program comprises an “operational flight program and systems upgrade, including a software update to incorporate the universal armament interface.”
Defense News, quoting Lockheed Martin officials, said the FACh will also receive upgrades including Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system and a Link 16 tactical data link system. The upgrades will keep the F-16s relevant until the 2040s, when they are expected to begin retiring.
The upgrade work is also expected to be carried out at the FACh’s maintenance workshops at Santiago and Antofagasta.
