Argentina has solidified an agreement to procure 24 F-16 fighter jets from Denmark, announced President Javier Milei and Defense Minister Luis Petri in a video posted on X.
"The contract is for around $300 million, below the market cost," government spokesman Manuel Adorni said at a press conference.
DefenseNews reported the cost of the contract to be $320 million, adding that contract "also includes reconnaissance pods and training armaments, such as AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles."
Petri participated in the video conference from Denmark, representing Argentina's delegation. He expressed, “The President is leading Argentina out of decades of decline and is carrying the banner of freedom to every corner of the world.”
In response, the president credited the accomplishment to his competent Cabinet, adding, “Long live freedom.”
Following the announcement, Petri shared images of the agreement signing with the Danish Government on his social networks. “From today, Argentines, we once again have forces from heaven to protect us,” he declared, highlighting the significance of the deal for national defense and the reinforcement of Argentina's Air Force to uphold sovereignty and freedom.
During his address in Denmark, Petri hailed the acquisition as Argentina's most significant military aeronautical procurement since 1983.
The letter of intent to purchase the fighter jets was initially inked in March. Deliveries of the aircraft, along with military equipment from the U.S., are scheduled to commence by the end of this year and extend through 2025.
Denmark's decision to sell F-16s to Argentina is part of a restructuring of its air force which is replacing its fighters with F-35s.
"Denmark is donating 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine, and the government has decided to sell 24 Danish F-16 jets to Argentina" announced Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen, in a press release by the Danish Ministry of Defence which also stated that "the decision to sell the Danish jets to Argentina has been carried out in close collaboration with the American government, who has approved the sale of the US produced aircrafts."
The modernized Danish F-16s, recognized by the U.S. Air Force as a high-performance weapons system, are versatile supersonic aircraft powered by a single jet engine capable of reaching speeds up to 2,400 km/h.
Argentina has been without supersonic fighter aircraft since the retirement of its Mirage III fighters in 2015, a gap that will now be filled by the new acquisitions.
