Ecuador President: No Arms Escalation

Quito, Feb 7 (Prensa Latina) Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa denied any escalation of weapons in the country, but explained the need to replace obsolete military equipment in the local Armed Forces.

"We want to change old submarines and helicopters for more modern ones," Correa told a local radio station on Thursday.

He said that Ecuador is discussing purchases with Chile for two repaired and modernized submarines to replace two old ones.

There are other offers from European and US companies that we are analyzing with an eye toward buying helicopters he added, highlighting that Brazil is another market, because it builds airplanes with more advanced military technology.

The Ecuadorian president pointed out that the Super Puma helicopters of the Ecuadorian Air Force are in such bad condition "they are not even Super Cats."

He reiterated that they are trying to replace armament and achieve the operability of equipment, which does not mean to start an arms race.