Chilean and U.S. Air Forces Sign Agreements during 10th FIDAE

Chilean Air Force

17/04/2012

U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force Heidi H. Grant (L) was present at the tenth edition of FIDAE to sign an agreement with the commander-in-chief of the Chilean Air Force, General Jorge Rojas Ávila, on March 28, 2012. (Photo: FACh)

On March 28, an Annex to the Chile-U.S. Master Information Exchange Agreement was signed, extending the Master Information Exchange Agreement (MIEA) signed on April 8, 2008, in recognition of the Memorandum of Cooperation in Defense and Security Matters between the Department of Defense of the United States of America and the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Chile dated July 17, 1996.

On that occasion, the commander-in-chief of the Chilean Air Force (FACh), General Jorge Rojas Ávila, accompanied by officers of that service, met with a representative of the U.S. Defense Department, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force Heidi H. Grant, and the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force (USAF), General Norton A. Schwartz.

This annex is related to materials science for lifecycle management and is of great significance, since it is the first one signed by FACh and USAF authorities.

Materials science is a growth area within the Aerospace Sciences Research and Development Center (CIDCA), with institutional personnel currently acquiring experience in this area as research staff at the Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CASTLE) in the United States.

For Air Force Captain Daniel Moraga, who works in the Planning and Doctrine Directorate, “the purpose of the agreement is to empower the Air Force within the scientific community, maintaining an active and leading role in the areas inherent to its aeronautical vocation, contributing to the generation of knowledge for innovation and national development,” he said.

Likewise, for the U.S. Defense Department representative, “this is a great opportunity to reinforce ties between the two institutions and exchange experiences, since the FACh has a high level of professionalism,” she said.