The Argentine Ministry of Defense Formalizes Purchase of Danish F-16 Fighters Aviacionline
In a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Argentine Ministry of Defense, Minister Luis Petri signed a letter of intent with his counterpart Troels Lund Poulsen to formalize the acquisition of a batch of supersonic SABCA (Mc Donnell Douglas/Lockheed Martin) F-16 fighters belonging to the Royal Danish Air Force.
“We received a visit from the Minister of Defense of Denmark, with whom we signed a letter of intent for the acquisition of F-16 aircraft and support equipment,” Petri indicated on social networks.
“We are laying the groundwork for cooperation in the area of defense between Denmark, the USA, and Argentina. We continue to strengthen our forces and recover the supersonic capability that allows us to guard and defend our airspace, reaffirming the commitment of our President Javier Milei to national defense,” he added.
According to sources close to the operation, the deal will be completed by mid-April.
Recibimos la visita del Ministro de Defensa de Dinamarca @troelslundp, con quien firmamos una carta de intención para la adquisición de las aeronaves F-16 y el equipamiento de apoyo. Estamos sentando las bases para la cooperación en el área de defensa entre Dinamarca, EEUU y… pic.twitter.com/ZNHqw6TO0k
— Luis Petri (@luispetri) March 26, 2024
In the early 1970s, the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) began searching for a replacement for the three types of fighter aircraft then in service. The new fighter would have to replace the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, the North American F-100D/F Super Sabre, and the SAAB F-35 Draken. The candidates were the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the SAAB JAS-37 Viggen, and the Dassault Mirage F-1.
At the end of the competition, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was selected, and in 1975, Denmark joined Belgium, Holland, and Norway in an order for a total of 348 units from the United States. Initially, Denmark ordered 58 F-16s, consisting of 48 F-16As and 10 F-16Bs, all built by SABCA in Belgium.
The first F-16B, with serial number ET-204, was delivered to the RDAF on January 18, 1980. Following the initial order of 58 units, a further eight F-16As and four F-16Bs were ordered in 1984. These were built by Fokker in Holland and delivered between 1988 and 1989.
The most significant upgrade the RDAF F-16s have received is the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) program, which the RDAF joined from its inception in 1989 when the initial planning stages started. In total, the RDAF upgraded 48 F-16As and 13 F-16Bs. All RDAF F-16s were modified at the Aalborg Air Base in the northern part of Jutland.
Most RDAF F-16s remaining in service have been upgraded to the MLU 6.5 Tape standard.
This is a developing story.
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