Argentina will only begin the transition period to integrate F-16 fighter jets, purchased secondhand from Denmark, into its Air Force in January 2026. That is one year and nine months after signing the acquisition deal.
And this refers only to the first six of 24 jets, preparations for which are now in their final stage, according to Zona Militar. Before that, the country had received only one F-16BM Block 10 for technician training. According to plans, Argentina's operational use of F-16s will start closer to late 2026.
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The delivery of all 24 aircraft will stretch until 2028, with six aircraft arriving annually. This means it will take over four years to fully implement the program to strengthen the Argentine Air Force with used fighters.
All of this is happening with full support from the program's stakeholders. Argentine pilots and technicians are being trained by the private U.S. company Top Aces, which avoids bottlenecks in government training centers. Denmark, under the contract, is responsible for transporting the jets, as well as providing spare parts and upgrade elements.
These peacetime timelines are quite telling, especially compared to Ukraine's fast-track integration and combat deployment of F-16s. The irony is that the very same used F-16s strengthening Argentina were originally meant to reinforce Ukraine's Air Force. But 24 of Denmark's F-16s — out of 44 (around 30 airwothy) became hostages to U.S. decisions.
Argentina urgently needed to renew its fleet, which consisted of about 20 A-4 Skyhawks in highly questionable flight condition. With Western fighters both too expensive and facing long delivery times, China aggressively pushed its Chengdu JF-17s on favorable credit terms. To block Beijing from gaining a foothold in South America's defense market, Washington insisted on the F-16 deal. But instead of U.S. F-16s, it was Denmark's fleet originally pledged to Ukraine that was redirected.
Finally, in April 2024, a binding agreement was signed for Denmark to sell 24 F-16s to Argentina for $320 million only about $13.3 million per jet. However, the U.S. placed the cost of refurbishment and modernization at up to $941 million, offering a credit line to cover it.
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