The US State Department Wednesday gave its nod to the possible sale of high-tech equipment for Argentina's F-16 combat aircraft. The US$ 941 million operation has the Fort Worth (Texas) based company Lockheed Martin as the primary contractor. “This agreement reinforces US foreign policy and security objectives by supporting the security of an important ally in South America,” the State Department said in a statement.
As part of the process of the combat aircraft F-16A/B incorporation process to the Argentine Air Force, the government has published in the Official Gazette an invitation to tenders for the construction of a new instruction center at the IV Air Brigade in Tandil where the second-hand aircraft from the Danish Air Force, will be stationed.
Following Argentina's purchase of US-made F-16 jets from Denmark, concerns were raised in Parliament to a Secretary of Defense regarding the UK's defense readiness in the South Atlantic, more precisely the Falkland Islands.
Argentina has finalized its largest military aircraft acquisition in decades with the purchase of 24 F-16 fighter jets from Denmark, signaling a significant step in bolstering its defense capabilities.
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.
Turkey will receive 40 new F-16s and upgrades to 79 of the jets in its existing fleet, the United States State Department said in a press release. The US$ 23 billion operation follows on Turkey's ratification of NATO membership for Sweden.
The Argentine Embassy in China said that Buenos Aires is considering procuring the JF-17 aircraft, with Chinese analysts saying on Wednesday that the fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan is the best choice for Argentina in terms of performance and availability.
A leading US Navy think tank feels it is imperative for the US to pay close attention to the South Atlantic given China's growing trade, financial, investment influence in countries such as Argentina, and suggests a joint security cooperation investment with the UK, but especially overcoming an “outdated United Kingdom post-Falklands War security policy”
A team from the Argentine Air Force is in Denmark reviewing the possibility of purchasing F-16 A/B MLU fighter-bomber jets from that country in the last assessment round before a decision on the matter is made no later than 2023.
An article published by the United States Naval Institute, USNI, a private, professional military think-tank which since 1873 provides independent ideas for debating US defense issues, has revealed that Washington, fearful of China's advance in South America, offered back in 2020, surplus Danish F-16A/Bs both to Colombia and Argentina, and is negotiating with the UK to approve the sale.