The State Department recently approved a $300 million deal to send T-6C Texans to Argentina to help bolster the training for that country’s air force. The deal comes shortly after Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James visited South America, where allies there pressed her for easier and faster foreign military sales. Argentina requested 24 T-6s, along with spare engines, initial spare parts, and other support, including Air Force Materiel Command Services and travel, according to a State Department release. The department notified Congress of the sale on July 29. “The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally,” the release states.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.