Argentina has acquired 24 F-16 fighter jets from Denmark, as confirmed by the Argentine government. 

“Today we are completing the most important military aeronautical acquisition since 1983,” Argentine Minister of Defense Luis Alfonso Petri declared during a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, on April 16, 2024. “These are 24 F-16 aircraft that have been modernized and equipped with the best technology, and that today are at the level of the best aircraft that fly in the skies of the South American region and the world.” 

Petri and his Danish counterpart, Troels Lund Poulsen, inked a letter of intent in Buenos Aires on March 26, 2024, paving the way for the sale of the Danish F-16 aircraft to Argentina. 

The decision to sell the F-16s to Argentina was taken in collaboration with the Biden administration, which gave its approval for the transfer of these US-produced fighter jets, according to a statement from the Danish Ministry of Defense. 

The arrival of the F-16s marks a significant milestone for Argentina’s defense capabilities, particularly for its aging fighter fleet. The Argentine Air Force had been exploring various options for fleet renewal, including the procurement of Dassault-Breguet Super Etendard Modernisés from France, Sukhoi Su-24s from Russia, or new Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunders. However, none of these had come to fruition.