Argentina to buy 24 used F-16 fighter jets from Denmark

Americas, Europe, News March 30, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Denmark’s Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen, finalized an agreement with Argentina’s Minister of Defense, Luis Alfonso Petri, clearing the path for the transfer of 24 Danish F-16 Fighting Falcon combat jets to Argentina. The deal was finalized after approval from the U.S., which produces the fighter jets.

“I have had an extremely fruitful meeting with my Argentine colleague who has expressed great satisfaction on becoming a member of the family of F-16 nations across the globe,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said after meeting with his Argentinian counterpart in Buenos Aires. “I am therefore very pleased that my Argentine colleague and I today in Buenos Aires have signed a letter of intent on the possible sale.”

“We received the visit of the Danish Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen, with whom we signed a letter of intent for the purchase of F-16 aircraft and support equipment. We are laying the foundation for cooperation in defense between Denmark, the U.S., and Argentina,” said Petri in a post on Twitter.

To modernize its aerial combat capabilities, Denmark is replacing its F-16 fleet with new F-35 jets, both of which are produced by the U.S.-based Lockheed Martin. A final agreement will be signed between the two countries by the end of April 2024. It is also expected that the price of the 24 fighter jets will be unveiled in that contract.

To mature the sale of its used F-16 fighter jets, Demark needed approval from the U.S. government. The management of the sale of the jets and transfer of its weapon systems like the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles will be overseen by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, operating within the Pentagon’s Foreign Military Sales program.

^{Three U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets fly with KC-46A Pegasus during Reg Flag-Alaska 23-3 over the Joint Pacific-Alaska Range Complex, Alaska. (Image Credit: U.S. Department of Defense/Twitter)}

The sale signifies not only a significant milestone but also underscores Argentina’s aspiration to enhance its air defense capabilities.

According to the “Denmark Defense Market 2023-2028”, Denmark procured 43 F-16A/B multirole aircraft between 1980 and 1997. Apart from selling 24 planes to Argentina, Denmark is donating 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine for its fight against Russian invasion.

Donating jets to Ukraine

In 2023, Copenhagen also announced intentions to donate fighter jets to Ukraine, which was also approved by the U.S. The same year, Denmark initiated a collaboration with other nations in training Ukrainian airmen using the F-16s.

Last December, the British Air Force joined the program to conduct training sessions for Ukrainian pilots while a month later Norwegian armed forces dispatched F-16s to Danish territories for the same purpose. Earlier this month, the Dutch government earmarked funds to purchase shells for Ukraine’s forthcoming F-16s, following its commitment to supply 24 Fighting Falcons to Kyiv in 2022.

For a long time, European leaders denied Ukraine’s request to acquire fighter jets due to the training complications as well as the fears of escalation. However by mid-2023, as Kyiv was preparing for its counteroffensive, the Ukrainian President held meetings with French, German, and British leaders requesting fighter jets and weapons, which proved fruitful to some extent and Ukraine received pledges from several European nations for deliveries of fighter jets and related weapons.