laststandonzombieisland

We covered last year the U.S.-approved $300 million purchase of a group of 24 circa 1980s F-16A/B MLU Block 10/15s from Denmark to revitalize the country’s air power.

Argentine F-16BM Block 15 MLU ex-Royal Danish AF, seen in Denmark in April 2024

While the Argentine Air Force and Navy fielded a formidable force of over 130 combat aircraft that got involved in the Falklands in 1982– 27 IAI Dagger (Mirage Vs), 16 Mirage IIIEAs, 8 B.62 Canberras, 24 IA 58A Pucara COIN aircraft, 54 A-4B/C/Q Skyhawks, 6 Aermacchi MB.339As, and four Super Étendards– they are all gone.

About the only combat air assets available to the country these days are 15 FAdeA IA-63 Pampa III trainers of IV Brigada Aérea that have been optimized to carry ordnance and a handful of cranky A-4ARs that may or may not be operable.

That’s why the Danish F-16s, even though they are from the Reagan era, are such a big deal.

The Argentines have already had $941 million worth of U.S.-supplied ordnance and spare parts for the F-16s approved by the State Department including:

• 36 AIM-120 C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)
• 102 MK-82 500lb general purpose bombs
• 50 MXU-650 air foil groups for 500lb GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs
• 102 FMU-152A/B joint programmable fuzes with FZU-63A/B fuze systems
• 50 MAU-169L/B computer control groups.

The first Danish F-16 (ex-ET-210, now M-1210), a two-seater B model, was shown off in Argentina this week with a very nice almost USAF grey-blue scheme. The bird was disassembled and shipped to Latin America aboard two Argentine KC-130Hs last December then reassembled with the help of Danish technicians at Tandil Air Base where it will eventually become part of VI Brigada Aérea. Right now it is non-flyable.

On arrival last December

And reassembled with a new livery and display ordnance this week

However, this mockup was shown with two AMRAAMs, another two Sidewinders, two drop tanks, and two domestically made FAS-850 Dardo 3 guided glide bombs, a new little gem that has a touted 200km range.

Note Dardo between the Sidewinder and drop tanks

The country is expecting to have a six-frame half-squadron ready to take to the air by the end of the year, when they will be the first supersonic fighters available since they retired the last of their Mirage IIIs a decade ago.