First Six Argentine Air Force F-16s Arrive at Río Cuarto

Argentine Air Force F-16s arrive at Río Cuarto

After successfully making a technical stop at Natal Air Base in northern Brazil, the first six Argentine Air Force F-16 fighters reached the Río Cuarto Materiel Area in Córdoba province, representing a turning point for the country’s combat aviation. Arriving amid a landmark modernisation of Argentina’s national air power, these aircraft deliver a long-awaited strategic step for the service, restoring the country to the select group of nations operating a supersonic fleet.

Following years of anticipation, the arrival of four two-seat F-16BM aircraft - M1004, M1005, M1007 and M1008 - and two single-seat F-16AMs, M1009 and M1020, ends a decade without fighters of this kind after the Mirage fleet was retired in November 2015. Beyond the technological and operational advance, the F-16 acquisition is also a symbolic milestone for Air Force personnel, particularly young pilots who will begin training on a new generation of combat aircraft. The purchase restores the institution’s supersonic capability and re-establishes it as a key participant in the regional defence framework.

F-16 delivery operation from Denmark

Three United States Air Force KC-135R Stratotankers, carrying registrations 63-8034, 63-8031 and 60-0328, supported the F-16s’ transfer from Denmark. They provided logistics support and conducted air-to-air refuelling during the ocean crossing and the onward journey from northern Brazil to Argentina. This deployment ensured the new fighters’ safety and range, completing one of the Argentine Air Force’s most complex and significant air operations in recent years.

The Argentine Air Force also deployed its own assets for the journey, including the Boeing 737 T-99 “Malvinas Islands” and the KC-130H Hercules TC-69, which undertook logistics, co-ordination, and search-and-rescue (SAR) duties. The combined effort demonstrates the extensive planning and co-ordination achieved by the service’s different units, reinforcing an operation that represents the revival of Argentina’s national combat aviation.

Official F-16 reception and Buenos Aires flypast

The official F-16 reception ceremony will now take place at 09:00 on Saturday 6 December, rather than Sunday 7 December as originally planned. Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, will lead the event, joined by Defence Minister Luis Petri and senior Argentine Armed Forces officials.

As part of the welcome programme, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the air display over the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires has also been moved to Saturday 6 December. Under the official schedule, the F-16s will take off again from Río Cuarto for a low-level flypast at roughly 610 metres (2,000 feet), following a route over the Casa Rosada, Avenida de Mayo, Plaza Miserere, and an additional south-to-north pass over Avenida 9 de Julio. The flight will give the Argentine public its first opportunity to see in the country’s skies the new supersonic fighters that will shape the future of its air defence.

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