Argentina Receives Six More Ex-Danish F-16s, Three Months Early

Argentina has received a second batch of six F-16 fighters from Denmark, bringing the number delivered to 12 of the 24 aircraft it bought from the Royal Danish Air Force. The jets arrived at the Río Cuarto air base in Córdoba province at the end of September 2026, around three months earlier than the original December deadline.

The delivery

The batch consists of four single-seat F-16AMs and two two-seat F-16BMs, all upgraded under the Mid-Life Update programme. They left Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark on 22 September, passed through Spain and crossed the Atlantic with US Air Force KC-135R tanker support, according to Air Data News.

Defence Minister Carlos Presti and Air Force chief Brigadier Gustavo Valverde attended the landing. FlightGlobal reported the arrival on 6 October.

What Argentina bought

Argentina agreed in 2024 to purchase 16 F-16AMs and eight F-16BMs from Denmark’s former inventory, together with engines, training systems and support equipment. The transfer had US approval. The first six aircraft arrived in December 2025.

The purchase restored a supersonic fighter capability that Argentina lacked after retiring its Mirage fleet in 2015.

Faster than planned

Because the second batch arrived early, officials are weighing whether to compress the remaining schedule. Air Data News reports that they are considering moving all of the final 12 aircraft into 2027, rather than splitting them between 2027 and early 2028. A decision has not been announced.

Speeding up deliveries would depend on the pace at which Danish aircraft are prepared and on the availability of tanker support for the long ferry flights. It would also depend on how quickly Argentine pilots and maintainers can absorb the type. With 12 aircraft now in the country, the air force has enough airframes to expand training and begin building an operational squadron.

Why it matters

The F-16 buy is one of the most significant re-equipment steps for the Argentine armed forces in decades, and it places the country alongside a long list of operators of the type. Questions remain about weapons, sustainment and the long-term budget. Argentina will need missiles, support equipment and spare parts to turn delivered airframes into a combat-ready force, and those items sit outside the aircraft purchase headline. The remaining 12 jets, expected in 2027, will show whether the programme can keep to its accelerated timetable.