From Dragonflies to Pampas
How aligned allies can build strength together.
Salvadoran Air Force Cessna A-37B Dragonflies flying over Salvadoran air space. The Dragonfly is a jet-powered, light attack aircraft designed in the mid-1960s.
Under President Donald Trump, the United States has strategically strengthened relations with countries like El Salvador—under President Nayib Bukele—and Argentina—under President Javier Milei.
That matters.
Because strong relations should lead to real-world cooperation—in many relevant fields.
Take a simple, concrete example.
The Salvadoran Air Force still operates aging Cessna A-37 Dragonfly jets. Reliable in their time—but clearly outdated.
At the same time, Argentina’s state aircraft manufacturer FAdeA produces the IA-63 Pampa—a modern, capable aircraft that deserves wider use but lacks scale.
The opportunity is obvious: foster Salvadoran–Argentinian cooperation, potentially backed by US or Israeli technical and financial support.
If El Salvador replaced its fleet of 15 outdated Dragonflies with 20 new Pampas:
it would modernize its Air Force overnight
it would revive Argentine jet production capacity
it would create a regional platform for training and cooperation
That’s how alliances should work.
Not dependency.
Not inertia.
Not defaulting to the same suppliers forever.
But building strength together.
A move like this would not just benefit two countries.
It could set a precedent across the region—
for countries like Belize, Guyana, Chile and others.
Shared platforms.
Shared training.
Shared interests.
The US-built Cessna A-37 Dragonfly served well.
But its time has long passed.
American leadership is not just about what we provide—
it is about what we enable.
It solidifies when our true allies—like Argentina and El Salvador in this new historical phase—
strengthen their joint capabilities
and answer their own needs.
We should help them help themselves.
That is an essential part of the Trump–Vance “Peace through Strength” model.
Foreign decisions. Local consequences.
Local decisions. Foreign consequences.
Most people don’t even see it happening.
If you want to understand the forces shaping our world—and not be misled by them—that’s exactly what ForeignLocal is here to do.
Argentinian Air Force IA-63 Pampa. Similar aircrafts are seeing a revival in Air Forces the world over.
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Perhaps the American administration could help Sri Lanka get rid of the CCP stranglehold on the country known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean ??
Because Xi Ping hates India, the CCP has gone into every country that surrounds India. Thus Sri Lanka is caught in a vicious trap by the CCP.
Yes correct