SANTIAGO, April 28 (Reuters) - Chile's government has reached an agreement to buy 18 second-hand F-16 fighter planes from the Dutch government, Defense Minister Fancisco Vidal said on Tuesday, in a deal valued at $270 million.
"This is not an arms race, it is renewal of equipment," Vidal told reporters. "Chile has renewed equipment over the past 10 years which was totally obsolete. Chile has not increased it's military might."
Vidal said Chile would take delivery of four to six of the jets at the end of the year, and would receive the balance by September 2010. (Reporting by Antonio de la Jara. Writing by Simon Gardner)