MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina chooses US-built F-16 fighters over Chinese JF-17s

There were going to be 34 F-16s but Ukrainian President Zelensky managed to have 10 of them spared for his war effort against Putin's Russia

Argentina's Air Force is to move on with the process of purchasing 24 second-hand US-built F-16 fighter jets from Denmark with the White House's nod, it was reported in Buenos Aires. The decision meant dropping the alternative of Chinese-developed JF-17 units in line with President Javier Milei's policy of not joining the BRICS group and not holding Beijing as a key ally.

The F-16s were manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Washington's approval was needed to make them a viable choice. The US government is also to finance the operation which will entail annual payments for the South American country.

Xi Jinping had offered Milei's predecessor Alberto Fernández 34 JF-17s at a bargain price and through an atypical financing scheme.

US Ambassador Marc Stanley invited then-Economy Minister and presidential hopeful Sergio Massa to convey the White House's thumbs down to such a move, resulting in then-Defense Minister Jorge Taiana not traveling to Beijing for further negotiations.

In this scenario, the White House Security Council issued a secret instruction to help Argentina purchase these planes. The news was delivered to Milei when he traveled to DC before his inauguration.

There were going to be 34 F-16s but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky managed to have 10 of them for his war effort against Vladimir Putin's Russia.

If Argentina's transaction is not closed by the end of February, it will be rendered null.

According to various press reports, London's approval was also needed for Argentina to boost its military capabilities after the 1982 South Atlantic war.