Argentina received another six former Danish F-16 fighter jets on Tuesday after the aircraft completed their ferry flight from Europe, while officials are considering accelerating the delivery of the remaining 12 fighters to 2027.
Four single-seat F-16AM fighters and two F-16BM two-seaters landed at Área Material Río Cuarto, in Córdoba province, shortly after 6 p.m. local time. The arrival brought to 12 the number of aircraft delivered under Argentina's acquisition of 24 former Royal Danish Air Force F-16s.
The latest group had departed Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark on September 22 and made stops in Spain before crossing the Atlantic to Natal, in northeastern Brazil. U.S. Air Force KC-135R tankers provided aerial refueling support during the transatlantic crossing.
The transfer was completed earlier than initially planned. The second batch had previously been expected in December, but its arrival was brought forward by about three months.
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Argentine officials are now studying whether a similar acceleration could be applied to the rest of the program. The current schedule divides the remaining 12 aircraft between deliveries in 2027 and early 2028, but both batches could instead arrive next year. No revised schedule has been formally announced.
The fighters made several passes over Río Cuarto before landing. Defense Minister Carlos Presti and Argentine Air Force chief Brigadier Gustavo Valverde attended the arrival, along with U.S. Ambassador Peter Lamelas and other officials.
Argentine pilots participated in the ferry operation alongside personnel from Top Aces, the Canadian company supporting the introduction of the F-16 into Argentine service. An Argentine Air Force Boeing 737 and KC-130H also supported the deployment with personnel, equipment and logistical assistance.
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The aircraft will remain at Río Cuarto while infrastructure work continues at the VI Air Brigade in Tandil, which is being prepared as the F-16's permanent operating base.
Argentina signed the agreement with Denmark in 2024 for 16 F-16AM fighters and eight F-16BM two-seaters, together with engines, training, simulators and support equipment. The acquisition restored a supersonic fighter capability that the Argentine Air Force had lacked since the retirement of the Mirage family in 2015.
The first six operational aircraft arrived in Argentina in December 2025. If the proposed acceleration of the remaining deliveries is implemented, all 24 Danish F-16s would be in the country during 2027 instead of completing the transfer in early 2028.
