As has been reported over the past few weeks, the Royal Danish Air Force is moving forward with the retirement of its F-16AM/BM fighters with the incorporation of the new stealth F-35 fighter jets. However, this has not prevented the institution from readying a pair of its Fighting Falcons to participate in the upcoming edition of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) airshow, which will take place between July 18 and 20 in the United Kingdom. This is not a minor detail, as in practice it would potentially mean that one of the future fighter jets of the Argentine Air Force could be exhibited on British soil.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is one of the main airshows in the United Kingdom and in the world. It brings together the main civil and military aircraft, always attracting a significant audience from all corners of the British Isles, Europe, and the world.
In the past, the Argentine Air Force participated in previous editions, such as in 1981, when the institution was present with the deployment of the KC-130 TC-70, with its crew receiving first place in the search and rescue competition through the “Best non-ASW crew” distinction. However, after the Malvinas War, with the tension between both countries and the wounds of the conflict, there were no further participations by Argentina.
However, this seemed to change in 2023, when the event’s organization confirmed the participation of the Boeing 737-700 T-99 “Islas Malvinas.” Nevertheless, in the face of discontent and protests from British Malvinas War veterans’ associations, the same organization confirmed that the T-99 would not participate in the event.
Returning to the present and the future participation of the Royal Danish Air Force F-16s, this will consist of two aircraft: a single-seat F-16AM, which will perform aerial displays, and a two-seat F-16BM for static exhibition, belonging to Squadron 727 “Craven,” which was the first unit to receive the new Fighting Falcons in the 1980s.
On the occasion of the confirmation of the Danish F-16s’ participation, the RIAT organization highlighted the following: “…The Royal Danish Air Force has announced that the 2025 airshow season will be the last year in which there will be a solo demonstration of the F-16AM. Therefore, we are very pleased to announce that this display will be presented for the last time at RIAT25 this July. This could also very possibly be the last flight demonstration in the United Kingdom of an original F-16A/F-16AM variant.”
This last detail is not minor, as the future of the Royal Danish Air Force’s F-16s is divided between Argentina and Ukraine, countries that have already begun the process of incorporating these aircraft. In the case of the Argentine Air Force, it has already received the first F-16BM Block 10, which is being used as a ground trainer at the VI Air Brigade in Tandil, while preparing to receive the first six units toward the end of the current year 2025.
Finally, and with the confirmation in hand, it remains to be seen whether these two units will correspond to aircraft that are committed for transfer to Argentina in the coming years.
*Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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