The Royal Danish Air Force has officially brought the operational life of its F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters to an end, aircraft that were a central component of Denmark’s air power for 46 years. The retirement was formalized with a ceremony held at Skrydstrup Air Base, marking the close of a chapter that began in 1980 and the definitive transfer of responsibilities to the F-35.
Since their introduction into service, the F-16s took part on a постоян basis in national and international missions of the Danish Armed Forces. Over more than four decades, these aircraft were deployed across a range of operational theaters, including the Balkans, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Libya, carrying out surveillance, deterrence, and air response tasks.
Farewell ceremony at Skrydstrup
The official retirement ceremony took place on January 18 at Skrydstrup Air Station and was attended by generations of military personnel, technicians, and pilots associated with the F-16 weapon system. The event was led by Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen and centered on the display of an F-16 that had previously been in operational service alongside a scale model of an F-35 fighter.
Hangar 3 at the base served as the main venue for the ceremony, bringing together members of Squadron 727 of the Skrydstrup Fighter Wing, a unit closely linked to the history of the Fighting Falcon in Denmark. During the event, access was granted to the aircraft on display, and opportunities were created for interaction between the public and the personnel who operated and maintained the F-16s over the years.
One of the speakers was General and former Chief of Defence Christian Hvidt (VIT), who landed the first Danish F-16 at Skrydstrup exactly 46 years ago and later served as commander of Squadron 727. In his address, he recalled the early days of the program and the aircraft’s operational journey within the Air Force.
“We are not referring to the age of the F-16, as it has been maintained by probably the best aeronautical technicians in the world and flown by some of the best pilots in the world,” Hvidt stated. “Congratulations to 727. What exciting and enormous challenges lie ahead of us!” he concluded.
Transition to the F-35
The retirement of the F-16 comes in parallel with progress in the induction program for the stealthy F-35 fighters, which have already assumed tasks and roles previously carried out by the Fighting Falcons. Denmark is also continuing the process of purchasing an additional batch of F-35s from the United States, further consolidating the transition to the new weapon system.
While the F-16s have been withdrawn from active service with the Royal Danish Air Force, the aircraft will not be permanently decommissioned. Owing to their operational condition, the result of decades of maintenance and technical sustainment, part of the fleet has been transferred to other countries.
A new chapter in Argentina and Ukraine
Some of the Danish F-16s were sold to Argentina, while others were donated to Ukraine, where they are already equipped with APKWS II guided rockets, ensuring the continued operational use of the model within new air forces. In the Argentine case, the aircraft are part of the Peace Condor Program, through which the Argentine Air Force (FAA) is moving forward with the induction and preparation of the F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon.
In this context, the FAA recently launched a new tender aimed at strengthening the system’s operational sustainment. Through the Office of the Aeronautical Attaché at the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the United States, Tender No. 40/03-012-LPU25 was issued for the acquisition of main and nose landing gear tires, critical components for the future operations of the fighters assigned to the 6th Fighter Group, temporarily based at the Río Cuarto Materiel Area (ARMACUAR).
Likewise, on January 9, the Argentine Air Force received at ARMACUAR a logistical shipment consisting of 50 containers with tools, spare parts, components, and weapons intended to support F-16 system operations. This material strengthens the program’s logistical support structure and represents a key step in consolidating the aircraft’s operational capability.
This shipment adds to the first logistics package accepted in September 2025 in the city of Kolding, Denmark, where an Argentine technical delegation carried out the physical and documentary verification of the material under the ILIAS management system, used by the Royal Danish Air Force and adopted by Argentina.
With the official retirement of the F-16 in Denmark, a historic chapter for the Scandinavian country’s military aviation comes to a close, while the aircraft continue their operational lives in new air forces, extending the legacy of one of the most widely used fighters of recent decades.
*Cover image and ceremony photos obtained from the Danish Armed Forces.
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