Abuelo Hercules: Latin American Programs

Argentine C-130s

Latin American air forces operate a wide variety of equipment, but American aircraft still play a prominent role. Some are new, but as one might expect in a region with constrained military budgets, many air forces are flying aging legacies of past purchases. They must be replaced at some point, and Brazil’s industry is making steady inroads on that basis, selling EMB-314 Super Tucanos to replace American OA-37 Dragonflys, and gearing up to replace American C-130 Hercules aircraft with Embraer’s KC-390.

Even with longer-term replacements afoot, however, the mathematics of force numbers and budget numbers continue to make upgrades, life extension programs, and second-hand transfers attractive. Recent announcements of C-130 projects in Argentina and Peru show that dynamic in action.

Coalition of the Half-Heartedly Willing Meets to Discuss ISIS

• US top brass say that ISIL is winning its way to defeat [Politico].

• WaPo: Serious disagreements remain in U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State.

• RAND Corporation is attempting to draw lessons from 13 years of war and recommends a similar whole-of-government approach that takes political and cultural aspects into account.