Industry sources said the Jordanian Defense Ministry was proposing to
sell at least 13 Mirage F-1 fighters to a range of African and South
American air forces.
They said Argentina appeared to be the most serious
prospect to procure the Jordanian aircraft.
Also In This Edition
Jordan procured its F-1 fleet in 1981 when it purchased 29 fighters from
France's Dassault Aviation, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said Jordan has sought to retain
about half of the remaining fleet — or 12 F-1 Mirages — for training
purposes.
Under the Jordanian proposal, the Hashemite kingdom would sell 12 F-1CJ
fighters and an F-1BJ air trainer. The sources said Amman has asked $100
million for the surplus aircraft.
The sources said Argentina could decide on the Jordanian offer over the
next few months. They said Amman has also offered the Mirages to Libya,
which has sought to revive its moribund air force.
Jordan has been replacing the Mirages with the U.S.-origin F-16. The air
force has a fleet of nearly 50 F-16A/Bs, most of them assigned for
modernization.