Argentina officially presents its first F-16 Fighting Falcon
On 24 February, the Argentine Air Force held an official ceremony to unveil its first Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet at Tandil Air Base near Buenos Aires. The event was attended by government officials, including the Minister of Defence, and high-ranking military officers.
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The ceremony featured a two-seat F-16BM Fighting Falcon, painted in the colours of the Argentine Air Force. This aircraft, delivered from Denmark, is intended as a training platform, not an operational unit. At the same time, it was shown with mock-ups of the AIM-9M/L Sidewinder and AIM-120B AMRAAM/ missiles.
The AIM-120B AMRAAM missiles could come from either Denmark or the United States under a foreign military sales (FMS) agreement signed at the end of 2024. Also under the wing of the aircraft was presented the Argentine FAS-850 Dardo 3 bomb, which is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 200 km if dropped from an altitude of 10,000 metres. However, its integration with the F-16 has not yet been confirmed.
F-16 aircraft Illustration: Koninklijke Luchtmacht and Flyvevaben
In April 2024, Argentina purchased 25 used F-16AM/BMs from Denmark, of which one will be used for ground training. This acquisition marks the beginning of the rebuilding of the Argentine Air Force, whose combat capabilities have been significantly reduced over the past 40 years.
In short, the first six operational F-16s are expected to enter service with the Argentine Air Force by the end of 2025.
Source: Defence Industry Europe
