With the recent presentation of the 2026 Budget Bill, some of the initiatives complementing the acquisition program of the F-16 AM/BM Fighting Falcon for the Argentine Air Force have come to light, among them the incorporation of a Comprehensive Military Security and Defense System to enhance the protection of the bases from which the new fighters will operate.
As we detailed a few days ago, the project to incorporate a “Comprehensive Military Security and Defense System to increase the Protection Capability of the F-16 Air System” is to be carried out at Área Material Río IV in Córdoba and the VI Air Brigade in Tandil, with a planned investment of 892.477 billion pesos.
It is worth recalling that the first F-16s will initially operate from the Argentine Air Force’s facilities in Las Higueras, near the city of Río Cuarto. Both the runway and facilities have undergone and continue to undergo various works to prepare them to receive the new fighters, which are expected to arrive in Argentina in early December, according to the Ministry of Defense and the FAA. Subsequently, the aircraft will be assigned to the VI Air Brigade in Tandil, once construction work at that unit is completed.
Ground Security and Defense of Air Force Bases
Before delving further into the scope of the program, it is worth clarifying some concepts to better understand and distinguish Security from Defense. To that end, we cite definitions from the final paper “Ground Security and Defense of Military Air Bases in Argentina. Guidelines for an Efficient Organization in the Medium Term” by CM Marcelo Alejandro Sánchez.
Ground Security of Military Air Bases is understood as: “…the set of measures and procedures aimed at preventing, detecting, alerting, reacting, and neutralizing potential ground threats that may act in a hostile manner against permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary airfields of the Air Force or another armed service, in order to safeguard human resources, material resources, information, and facilities…”.
Security tasks are carried out within the perimeter of the airfield (or within the scope of military jurisdiction), while their preparation and execution “…take place and apply both in peacetime and in times of conflict…”.
This encompasses:
- Passive Measures: Preventive procedures aimed at protecting personnel, assets, and information. This is achieved through prior planning and continuous monitoring, “…to prevent potential hostile actions within the perimeter of the unit or military jurisdiction before they occur…”.
- Active Measures: Solutions adopted “…to neutralize or reduce the effectiveness of a hostile action within the unit perimeter…”.
Ground Defense of Military Air Bases, meanwhile, implies:
“…actions aimed at preventing, stopping, or mitigating the effects of enemy ground attacks in a conflict situation, against assets located on an airfield, while permanently or temporarily retaining control of the terrain…”.
“…For the defense of an airfield, a layered ground defense system will be employed, in order to effectively operate at a certain distance from critical objectives to be protected. This distance will be defined by the direct or indirect range of the opponent’s weaponry, which may allow them to cause damage without penetrating the defense system…”.
“…The training, equipment, organization, and operations deemed suitable and relevant will be analogous to those of a light infantry unit…”.
Project to Incorporate a Comprehensive Security and Defense System for the Protection of F-16 Fighters
The incorporation of the F-16 AM/BM Fighting Falcons is demanding a considerable effort from both the Argentine Air Force and the Ministry of Defense, not only due to budgetary considerations, but also because of all the changes required to operate, maintain, and sustain the new weapons system. In this regard, we highlight the words of an FAA officer who rightly pointed out that the arrival of the F-16s would force the institution to undertake sweeping changes, not only materially but also within the very organizational culture of the Force.
As mentioned, the F-16s are being complemented by a series of additional initiatives, among them the incorporation of a Comprehensive Security and Defense System. Under code BAPIN 151349, the Air Force plans to acquire:
- Van-type vehicles for personnel transport and patrol duties
- Ballistic protection combat vests
- Ballistic and full-protection combat helmets
- Individual soldier deployment equipment and materials
- Autonomous drones for surveillance and military use
- 9×19 mm caliber carbines (sic)
At first glance, this appears to be equipment intended to outfit a security unit with basic capabilities, in line with current requirements: individual protection, small arms, and drones—the latter considered an essential tool today. It is expected that this system will be complemented by infrastructure-related elements, including communications, EO/IR monitoring equipment, among others.
The proposed acquisition, along with other resources, will likely be managed through the Directorate of Ground Security and Defense, created in 2012, whose mission is “…the planning, execution, coordination, and supervision of ground security and defense within the military jurisdiction of the Air Force… Its objective is to achieve coordinated and integrated work among all its bodies to establish an effective and efficient comprehensive ground security and defense system…”.
Both Área Material Río IV and the VI Air Brigade have their respective Ground Security and Defense Companies.
Cover image: Danish Air Force security personnel during a recent deployment in Greenland. Credits: Forsvaret
