Quito, Sep 26 (EFE) Ecuador is in talks to purchase 12 Cheetah C fighter jets from South Africa for the armed forces, a media report said citing Defence Minister Javier Ponce.

Ecuador Air Force has recommended the purchase of South African warplanes due to its low cost, the El Universo daily reported.

Spain and Chile were also in the contention but their bids exceeded the budget for modernisation of the Ecuadorian fleet, the report said Thursday.

The Cheetah C fighter was developed by South Africa in the mid-1980s based on Mirage III jets that Pretoria bought from France two decades ago.