Six more F-16 fighter jets landed at the Río Cuarto air base in Córdoba province on Tuesday evening after a week-long ferry flight from Denmark, bringing the Argentine Air Force's fleet to 12 of the 24 aircraft it bought from the Danish government, according to La Nación and Perfil.
The Defense Ministry marked the ocean crossing on Monday with video of the jets taking off from the Canary Islands, saying they had crossed the Atlantic "accompanied by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers of the US Air Force."
Argentina está cada vez más cerca. Desde las Islas Canarias despegó la nueva tanda de F-16 de nuestra @fuerzaaerea_arg. Cruzaron el Atlántico, acompañados por los Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker de la @usairforce, hacia Natal, Brasil, última escala del ferry II. Toda la Patria los acompaña con orgullo y espera su llegada. 🇦🇷
Translation: "Argentina is getting closer. The new batch of F-16s of our @fuerzaaerea_arg took off from the Canary Islands. They crossed the Atlantic, accompanied by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers of the @usairforce, toward Natal, Brazil, the last stop of Ferry II. The whole nation is with them with pride and awaits their arrival."
The Crossing
The batch of four single-seat F-16AMs and two two-seat F-16BMs left Denmark's Skrydstrup air base on September 22 and stopped in Zaragoza and Gran Canaria, in Spain, before crossing to Natal, on Brazil's northeastern tip, and flying on to Córdoba. The route covers more than 12,000 kilometres in straight-line distance.
The Atlantic leg from Gran Canaria to Natal, about 4,300 kilometres over open ocean, was flown with in-flight refueling from US Air Force KC-135 tankers, La Nación and Crónica reported; Crónica said three KC-135R aircraft took part. One of the six jets was flown by an Argentine pilot and the other five by foreign pilots, La Nación said.
The Program
Defense Minister Lieutenant General Carlos Presti received the aircraft with Air Force chief Brigadier General Gustavo Valverde, Joint Chiefs of Staff head Admiral Marcelo Dalle Nogare and US Ambassador Peter Lamelas, according to Perfil. "When the first aircraft arrived, we received platforms. Today we are building a capability," Presti said, according to Perfil, adding that a weapons system also needs doctrine, infrastructure, training and organization.
"We are only taking the first steps, but they are firm steps," Valverde said at the ceremony, according to Crónica.
The first six F-16s arrived in December 2025, when Milei called them "the new guardians of Argentine airspace." The aircraft purchase is valued at about US$300 million, La Nación and Crónica reported, and the government has paid three of five planned installments, roughly US$180 million, according to La Nación.
The jets give Argentina supersonic fighters for the first time since it retired its Mirage fleet in 2015. The transfer required US approval and has been backed by Washington, which this month also approved a $140 million sale of Black Hawk helicopters to Argentina.
Perfil reported that the remaining 12 aircraft are expected in 2027, while La Nación said full incorporation of the fleet is planned for 2028.