Argentina has received approval from the US State Department to purchase equipment and support for 24 F-16 fighter jets that will be transferred by Denmark.
The package estimated at US$941 million includes AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, general-purpose and laser-guided bombs, various avionics systems, chaff and flare devices, among other items.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in South America,” said a note from the Defense-Security Cooperation Agency.
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As is common in these cases, the package will be provided through the Foreign Military Sales program.
From Sino-Pakistani to American fighters
Argentina signed a contract with Denmark to receive 24 F-16A/B MLU fighters in April after years of uncertainty about the replacement for the Dassault Mirage III jets, which were retired in 2015.
For almost ten years, the Argentine Air Force, once one of the best equipped on the continent, has remained with A-4 subsonic attack jets in the air defense role.
In the meantime, several negotiations have been initiated, but they have come up against technical, financial and also political issues.
The United Kingdom, for example, blocked the sale of FA-50 jets from South Korea because they were equipped with Martin-Baker ejection seats. Since the Falklands War in 1982, the European country has maintained sanctions on defense material in relation to Argentina.
With a left-wing government in power, Argentina has come close to acquiring the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 fighter jet, with India running away with the HAL Tejas.
The Biden administration, however, decided to intervene to prevent Chinese influence in the region and offered second-hand F-16 fighter jets.
Despite its age, the Lockheed Martin jet is considered capable and versatile enough to take on the air superiority mission.
