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Argentina Takes Delivery of First Six Danish F-16s, With Capital Flyover Set This Weekend

Foreign crews will fly the jets initially, reflecting a phased handover to Argentine pilots.

Overview

  • The first aircraft arrive Friday at Área Material Río Cuarto, with a low‑altitude demonstration over Buenos Aires on Sunday ahead of a reception led by President Javier Milei in Córdoba.
  • Danish pilots will operate the F‑16s at the outset with Argentine aviators as copilots, and full operational transfer is expected to take months to about a year.
  • The Sunday route released by the Defense Ministry includes passes over the Casa Rosada, Avenida de Mayo, Avenida 9 de Julio, Aeroparque and Puerto Madero before returning to Río Cuarto.
  • The jets are MLU‑upgraded F‑16AM/BM models with AN/APG‑66(V)2 radar, Link 16 and electronic warfare enhancements, restoring Argentina’s supersonic interception capability.
  • The broader purchase totals 24 aircraft; reports differ on the status of U.S. approvals for specific munitions, though some coverage cites an export package that includes AMRAAM missiles and Mk‑82 bombs.