On the morning of Saturday, December 6th, the first F-16 fighter jets of the Argentine Air Force made headlines with their arrival on national soil. A flyover of six aircraft over the City of Buenos Aires drew the attention of the public and sparked celebrations from those who had long awaited the return of this supersonic capability to strengthen the institution. It was a significant milestone in itself, allowing the public to witness firsthand the first fruits of a lengthy selection and negotiation process that culminated in their arrival, making it one of the most important acquisitions in recent history in the field of defense. Below, we offer an updated overview of the timeline of this process, known as the Peace Condor Program.
Starting point
Our journey begins on April 16, 2024, the date on which an Argentine delegation, led by Luis Alfonso Petri, now a National Deputy for Mendoza and former Minister of Defense, visited Denmark to sign the contract for the acquisition of 24 F-16A/B MLU Fighting Falcon fighter jets for the Argentine Air Force. The signing took place at Skrydstrup Air Base, with the participation of their Danish counterpart, Troels Lund Poulsen, as well as various military authorities from both countries, and even Argentine President Javier Milei via video call.
At that time, the path was cleared for the arrival of a total of 24 aircraft, along with the necessary support package to guarantee their operational readiness and provide maintenance when required. This was achieved in exchange for an investment of nearly $300 million by the Argentine government. The support of the United States in making this happen must also be mentioned, given that through its mediation, Argentina gained access to the platform that the Royal Danish Air Force is replacing with fifth-generation F-35 aircraft.
Formally, it was the starting point for the process that, to date, has resulted in the arrival of the first fighter jets in the country, as well as the end of hopes for the JF-17 Thunder/FC-1 model, which was being promoted by China to equip the Air Force. Since then, there has been a constant stream of criticism regarding the choice, as well as doubts raised by those who didn’t believe the agreement would have a real impact, doubts that persist to this day with each new development. Technical discussions aside, the F-16s were on their way.
Aircraft No. 25
The next significant event occurred in December of that same year, when Aircraft No. 25 arrived in the country and was received at the 1st Air Brigade in El Palomar. The first F-16 to bear the colors and insignia of the Argentine Air Force was not combat-ready, but was intended for pilot training, instruction, and education, as well as for support crews, mechanics, and engineers who needed to familiarize themselves with the new weapons system.
However, because it was transported inside a larger platform, the fighter jet was not yet fully assembled upon arrival. Following a visit by ministerial and air force authorities in December, the F-16 was transferred to the VI Air Brigade in Tandil, where assembly began in January of this year; officially commencing on the 12th.
By the end of February, the Argentine Air Force held a formal presentation ceremony at 8:00 PM at the facilities of the VI Air Brigade, bringing together top officials from each of the three branches of the armed forces, as well as local and Danish ministerial officials. There, former Minister Petri stated: “With this weapons system, we are taking a true technological leap. We are enhancing our defensive capabilities. We are also refurbishing and modernizing every area of this base so that these F-16s can perform at their maximum capacity. (…) For Argentina to become great again, we need strong, well-trained, and prepared Armed Forces.”
Advances in the training of future pilots
With the Peace Condor program fully underway, further steps have been taken in the training of future Argentine F-16 pilots, which has been evident in various areas. Among the most notable, the institution has added new DART (Deployable Advanced Readiness Trainer) simulators for this purpose, which are part of the training center the Air Force established in Tandil. These simulators were part of the agreement reached with Denmark for the supply of the aircraft, and were provided by the Danish company IFAD and installed in April of this year.
Furthermore, demonstrating its close ties with Washington, Argentina arranged and carried out visits by its personnel to a US Air Force base in May, specifically to the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. There, the Argentine personnel not only gained firsthand knowledge of the facilities and strengthened ties with what is now an allied nation, but also took the first steps in familiarizing themselves with the JAMMER self-protection system that will be installed on the fighter jets.
To conclude this brief list, it is worth noting that during July, future Argentine F-16 pilots completed hypobaric training at the facilities of the National Institute of Aeronautical and Space Medicine (INMAE) to simulate the characteristics of high-altitude flight. As we previously reported, the specific objective was to train pilots to recognize and respond to symptoms of hypoxia before they cause loss of consciousness, a condition caused by a lack of oxygen at altitudes around 20,000 feet. This is crucial, considering that pilots’ reaction time to reverse the situation can be less than a minute.
Construction for the F-16s’ first home
While these events were taking place, the Air Force also focused on construction work at the site that will house the first six aircraft already in the country. This initial home is the Río Cuarto Air Material Area (ARMACUAR), while work is also progressing at the aforementioned VI Air Brigade in Tandil. Through the FAA’s Construction Group, work has been underway since March on tasks such as taxiway repairs, widening of runway shoulders, and upgrading the fire suppression system required for the base to operate the F-16.
Furthermore, construction was completed on a new maintenance workshop for arresting wire systems, perimeter fencing, cargo terminals, and facilities that will provide support for fighter jet avionics systems. In general terms, this project required an investment of over $12.7 billion and has the approval of ORSNA (National Airport System Regulatory Authority). The U.S. also provided support through the deployment of experts to advise the construction personnel and provide them with training according to required international standards. The final phase of these activities began in October.
The road to the arrival of the first six operational fighters
Finally, the time had come to make preparations for the first six operational F-16s to complete the ferry flight to Argentina from Denmark, a journey exceeding 13,000 kilometers. The Argentine Air Force itself indicated that preparations began in September, with several meetings held to finalize the mission details. Also during that month, images were released showing the F-16s already equipped with the Have Glass V stealth paint scheme and the Argentine Air Force insignia.
By the first week of November, another step was taken with the acceptance of the first logistics package by a technical delegation from the institution in Denmark, marking the formal beginning of the equipment transfer to our country prior to the arrival of the fighter jets. The delivery of items such as tools, spare parts, and various initial support components was completed after two weeks of extensive controls and acceptance processes, with activities carried out primarily at the Fighter Wing Skrydstrup Air Base and the Danish Supply Chain Division.
Finally, it should be mentioned that the flight from the European continent was completed by a total of four F-16 fighter jets of the two-seat BM variant, with registration numbers M1004, M1005, M1007, and M1008; these were complemented by two single-seat AM variants with registration numbers M1009 and M1020. Beginning in late November from Vojens Airport, the planes’ journey included stopovers at the Zaragoza and Gando Air Bases in the Canary Islands. After crossing the Atlantic, they made a stop in the city of Natal in northern Brazil, supported by Danish personnel and US refueling aircraft. By December 6th, we saw them flying through our skies until their arrival in Río Cuarto.
*Translated by Constanza Matteo
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