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Chile fielded 10,206 troops at its September 19 Gran Parada Militar — the biggest contingent in 17 years and the first-ever appearance by Gendarmería in the ceremony's history.
- Roughly 60 aircraft flew over Parque O'Higgins, led by F-16 Block 50 and MLU jets that still make Chile the region's top operator of the type, according to the 2026 Global Firepower count.
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Peru's F-16 Block 70 order — often described as a pending negotiation — was actually finalized months ago and is already moving through pilot training, while Chile studies the F-35 as its next step.
A Record Lineup for Kast's First Parade
Chile's Gran Parada Militar unfolded this past Saturday, September 19, on the ellipse of Santiago's Parque O'Higgins, running more than three hours and drawing 10,206 personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabineros, the PDI, and, for the first time in the event's history, Gendarmería, which marched with 94 officers. Women made up 1,764 of the total, and the Army supplied the largest single bloc with 6,219 troops. It was President José Antonio Kast's first parade since taking office, and he used the occasion to credit the armed forces with defending Chilean sovereignty across the length of the country.
Several outlets called it the biggest turnout in 17 years, since the last time more troops marched was 2009, when 11,064 personnel took part. La Tercera, working from a longer lens, called it the second-largest edition since 1989 — a framing that accounts for that same 2009 peak rather than contradicting it. Both descriptions are accurate; they're just measuring from different starting points.
F-16s Lead a Nearly 60-Aircraft Flyover
The aerial segment, traditionally the parade's biggest draw, brought together close to 60 aircraft spanning combat jets, trainers, tankers, and helicopters. Leading the formation were F-16 Block 50 and F-16AM/BM Block 15 MLU fighters, which flew in from bases in northern Chile to open the high-speed passes. They were joined by F-5E/F Tigre III jets, an E-3D Sentry early-warning aircraft, KC-135E tankers, and C-130 Hercules transports, per squadron details published by Infodefensa. None of this was assembled overnight: throughout September, full squadrons had already flown training passes over Atacama, Coquimbo, and Valparaíso as part of Exercise ADEX XI, designed to gauge aircrew readiness ahead of the parade.
A Two-Decade Lead That's Narrowing
For twenty years, Chile has held the largest F-16 fleet in the Southern Cone, built around roughly 46 aircraft across both variants. On paper, that lead still shows: the "Fighter Fleet Strength" ranking published by Global Firepower for 2026 counts Chile at 40 operational fighters, trailing only Brazil's 44.
Where the numbers get more complicated is next door. Peru's government confirmed its purchase of F-16 Block 70 jets and wired the initial payment to Lockheed Martin in April 2026, covering the first 12 of a planned 24 aircraft after a brief, politically charged suspension. By summer, Peruvian personnel were already training alongside U.S. counterparts to integrate the new jets — a program well past the negotiating stage. Former Peruvian foreign minister Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackay put the contrast bluntly, describing the incoming aircraft as "the last generation" of F-16, against a Chilean fleet built two decades earlier. Argentina, meanwhile, has already put used Danish F-16s into service: the first six landed in December 2025, with a second batch of six due this same month as part of a broader 24-jet program that Argentine officials now expect to finish roughly a year ahead of schedule.
Chile Eyes the F-35 as Its Next Move
Aware of that pressure, Chile's Air Force is now studying the F-35 as one option for replacing its F-5 Tigre III fleet, in service since 1976 and approaching the ceiling of what further upgrades can achieve. Officials have framed a decision window between 2030 and 2035, alongside alternatives like acquiring additional F-16s — a choice that will shape whether Chile's air force keeps pace with the modernization already underway in Lima and Buenos Aires.
A Presidential Debut Shadowed by Regional Friction
For Kast, who took office on March 11, 2026, Saturday marked his first Gran Parada Militar as head of state, arriving amid renewed friction with Argentina over sovereignty in the Strait of Magellan after remarks from an Argentine Air Force general reignited the dispute earlier in September. Both governments have since reaffirmed the treaties governing the southern zone, though the area remains a point of diplomatic watchfulness. Closing out the ceremony, Kast called the day "a tremendous source of pride," singling out Gendarmería's debut before departing for New York, where he is set to address the UN General Assembly for the first time as president.
The Bottom Line
Beyond the ceremony itself, the 2026 parade made one thing clear: South America's air-power balance is no longer settled by simply counting jets. Chile still holds the numerical edge and two decades of operational experience since becoming the first Southern Cone country to fly the F-16, but newer hardware arriving in Peru and Argentina is pushing Santiago to make faster decisions about the future of its own fleet if it wants to keep its regional lead intact.
