Argentina Receives Second Batch of F-16s From Denmark, Fleet Now at 12 Jets
The Argentine Air Force (FAA) has received its second batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters purchased from Denmark, at the Río Cuarto Materiel Area in Córdoba province. Under the “Peace Condor” program, the service’s F-16 fleet now stands at 12 of the 24 aircraft it has agreed to buy.
The six jets delivered comprise four single-seat F-16AMs — registered M-1011, M-1013, M-1018 and M-1024 — plus two twin-seat F-16BM trainers, M-1001 and M-1002. All are F-16A/B airframes that went through the Mid-Life Update (MLU) program; a separate F-16BM Block 10 aircraft procured for ground instruction is not counted among the 24 combat jets under contract.
Seven thousand miles, ten refueling contacts per jet
The second ferry flight departed Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark on 22 September, routing through Zaragoza and Gran Canaria in Spain before a stop in Natal, Brazil, and landing at Río Cuarto on the afternoon of 29 September. Over more than 7,000 miles, three US Air Force KC-135R Stratotankers provided air-to-air refueling, with each F-16 making ten separate refueling contacts during the crossing. An Argentine Air Force KC-130H Hercules and a Boeing 737 also supported the operation, carrying personnel and logistics.
Senior officials at the reception ceremony
The reception was led by Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Carlos A. Presti and Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Marcelo Alejandro Dalle Nogare, alongside representatives of all three armed services, US Ambassador to Argentina Peter Lamelas, and veterans of the Falklands War; the delegation was received by Air Force Chief Brig. Gen. Gustavo Javier Valverde. Valverde said the arrival of six new F-16s marked the program’s “fourth milestone” as the jets joined the ranks of the Air Force and the Ministry of Defense. Minister Presti added: “Today six F-16s arrive in the country, and this time the image means something different — when the first aircraft arrived we received platforms, today we are building a capability.”
Infrastructure still catching up, remaining 12 jets due in 2027
The aircraft will remain at Río Cuarto for now, while infrastructure work continues at their planned permanent base, the VI Air Brigade in Tandil — work expected to run at least through the end of next year. The remaining 12 jets needed to complete the contract are expected to arrive in 2027. The first six aircraft reached Argentina on 5 December 2025, under a contract signed with Denmark in 2024.
Argentina’s F-16 fleet restores a supersonic combat capability the country lost when its Mirage and Dagger fleets were retired in 2012 — nearly fifteen years ago. As Minister Presti stressed, the program extends well beyond the airframes themselves, requiring parallel progress in doctrine, training and infrastructure to translate individual aircraft into a sustained operational capability.
Regional balance and NATO-origin aircraft transfers
Denmark’s transfer of retired F-16s to Argentina as it completes its own shift to the F-35 is a current example of NATO-divested fighters moving to non-European operators. Such transfers help keep the global F-16 ecosystem active while requiring recipient air forces to bring training, maintenance and logistics up to NATO-compatible standards. As one of the largest F-16 operators outside the United States, Turkey follows these regional delivery and modernization processes closely, both for its own fleet upgrade plans and in the context of any future new-block procurement discussions.
Sources:
- Infodefensa, “Argentina recibe el segundo lote de seis cazas F-16 procedentes de Dinamarca”, 1 Ekim 2026, www.infodefensa.com — Tören detayları, yetkili isimleri ve alıntılar için kullanıldı.
- Defensa.com, “Fuerza Aérea Argentina recibe el segundo lote de aviones de combate F-16”, 1 Ekim 2026, www.defensa.com — Uçuş rotası, tescil numaraları ve ikinci kaynak doğrulaması için kullanıldı.
