AFSOUTH Working To Help Latin Allies Rebuild Aging Air Forces

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
Inside The Air Force
January 4, 2008
Pg. 4
U.S. Southern Command is helping four Central American nations recapitalize their aging air forces’ equipment and infrastructure through an effort that would provide each country with new aircraft and training, a command official tells Inside the Air Force.
The Pentagon and State Department are working to secure funding -- which may be available in the fiscal year 2009 budget -- for a Regional Aircraft Modernization Program (RAMP) for the Latin countries, Lt. Col. Troy Hewgley, chief of the theater security operations division at Air Forces Southern, said in a Dec. 21 telephone interview.
If funding is not obtained in the next defense budget, officials are looking to program the money somewhere in the 2010 to 2015 spending plan.
“What we’re looking to really do with RAMP is to provide a flexible, cost-sharing procurement program for these partners,” he said.
Allies in the region face many challenges, including the drug trade and violence from powerful gangs, Hewgley said. These countries -- with the help of the U.S. military -- are trying to keep 1970s-era aircraft flying to combat these adversaries.
“If we don’t do something, we’re going to end up being the surrogate air force of Latin America,” he said.
Over the past couple of years SOUTHCOM has been developing a strategy for the RAMP effort, Hewgley said. Command officials recently completed a study on the needs of four nations: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras.
Researchers found that if each country received the same assets, maintenance and other associated equipment, costs would be lowered, he said.
“Latin America’s air forces capability is decreasing on a daily basis,” he said. “If the United States does not act soon, these countries are going to lose their capability to support their own countries and the region.”
Officials have broken the modernization effort into three phases, to be carried out over the next 20-plus years. In the first, each country would receive four multirole airlifters capable of short takeoffs and landings, tactical airlift support, medical evacuation and fire fighting as well as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance gathering capability, Hewgley said.
Phase two would include the acquisition of four multimission utility helicopters capable of providing humanitarian assistance and disaster response, he said. A five-year maintenance and logistics plan would be included in the agreements.
The types of platforms have not been chosen yet, but they would be new aircraft.
“We feel -- looking at the tough environments down there, the challenges that they face -- that a very cost-effective, new airplane with that maintenance support would best support their needs,” Hewgley said.
Much later, the acquisition of an air interceptor aircraft might be considered.
Execution of the RAMP program would support the United States’ regional and national interests by increasing regional cooperation and interoperability; reducing illicit air and maritime drug traffic; protecting air sovereignty; and reducing direct U.S. military involvement in the region, according to briefing slides on the initiative.
The United States last supported these nations through a similar program in the 1970s, Hewgley said. Some of the countries still fly the A-37s, C-130 A-models and Huey 1 helicopters, which are costly to maintain.
The four nations -- which would share funding costs with the United States -- were chosen because they already have close working relationships and are close U.S. allies.
“This is the perfect nucleus to start with RAMP,” he said.
While Air Force officials are remaining focused on the current project, there are aspirations to expand the program to other South and Central American nations as well.
-- Marcus Weisgerber
 
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