At the Danish Skrydstrup Air Base, the Defense Ministers of Argentina and Denmark signed an intergovernmental agreement according to which Argentina will acquire 24 Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM fighter jets that are being retired from the Danish Air Force, modernized under the MLU program.
It seems, writes BB.LV that Argentina’s long-term ordeal to acquire combat-ready fighters for its air force has ended, thanks to a partnership with the Scandinavians.
The planes were in service for four decades. The procurement cost is approximately $300 million, including the transfer of spare parts, spare engines, ground equipment, simulators and training equipment.
Under the terms of the agreement, six fighters (four single-seat F-16BMs and two double-seat F-16AMs) are to be transferred from the Danish Air Force to Argentina in 2025, with delivery of all aircraft to be completed in 2028. In the Argentine Air Force, F-16 aircraft are to be part of two fighter squadrons to be restored at the 6th Aviation Brigade at Tandil Air Base in the province of Buenos Aires, where the Dassault Mirage III/V and IAI Nesher (Finger) fighters were previously operated.
The Danish Air Force received 70 F-16 fighters (54 single-seat F-16A and 16 double-seat F-16B) Block 1, 5, 10 and 15 series of new licensed Belgian and Dutch production (SABCA and Fokker) from 1980 to 1991, and in 1994 -1997 acquired seven more aircraft (six single-seat F-16A and one double-seat F-16B) Block 15 from the US Air Force. Later, 62 Danish F-16 aircraft were upgraded to the MLU standard. Currently, the Danish Air Force has 41 fighters in service (30 single-seat F-16AM and 11 double-seat F-16BM), and another 11 (ten F-16AM and one F-16BM) are in storage. To replace the F-16 fleet, Denmark has ordered 27 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters, deliveries of which should begin at the end of 2025 and continue until 2028.
In addition to the sale of 24 fighters to Argentina, Denmark has committed to transfer another 19 F-16AM/BM aircraft to Ukraine. According to recent reports, the first six Danish fighters should be transferred to Ukraine at the end of 2024, and the rest in 2025.
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