A couple of interesting news-worthy (to you guys) videos just hit, both F-16 related.
First up, Boeing just announced that it has wrapped up its 10-year program taking old Gen Dyn F-16A/Bs and converting them into QF-16 remote-controlled target drones. The last of 127 Boeing-modded QF-16s recently made its final delivery to the U.S. Air Force and is expected to fly until at least 2030.
The video includes some cool unmanned cockpit clips.
Meanwhile, in Argentina…
The Royal Danish Air Force has uploaded a superb 360-degree view from the cockpit of the new (to) Argentina F-16s during the recent flyover of Buenos Aires.
Six of the ultimately 24 refirb’d circa-1980s Danish-operated F-16A/B MLU Block 10/15s have arrived in Argentina earlier this month, with the U.S. providing backing with training, maintenance, and long-term support. The latter is also probably insurance against their possible use against the
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 Aéreathat 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.
I’m a sucker for eye-catching fighter planes and two have recently popped up.
From Denmark, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Fighting Falcon in Danish service, the Kongelige Danske Flyvevåben have applied a Dannebrogsflyet pattern to F-16AM No. E-006, designed by aviation artist Mads Bangsø.
The Danes bought 77 F-16A/B aircraft through the 1970s and 80s, upgrading almost 50 to F-16AM/BM Block 15 MLU standard, and has been steadily shedding the type, replacing them with F-35s. At least 19 have gone to Ukraine while another 24 have been bought by Argentina, no doubt to the joy of the British.
Sharkmouthed Sunliner
Meanwhile, the NAS Oceana-based Sunliners of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81 have an F-18E CAW 1 CAG bird (300) in a full-color livery, complete with a snaggle puss set of jaws. She will no doubt be striking on Truman’s cat when the carrier deploys this summer.
Among the thousands of Allied aircraft filling the skies over Normandy for Operation Overlord in June 1944 were four RAF Typhoon Squadrons (Nos. 193,197, 257, and 266) flying out of Needs Oar Point ALG near Lymington in Hampshire. They were heavily involved from April 1944 onwards in low-level attacks against targets in France and really stepped up the sortie rate when D-Day went live.
Flying Officers Spain and Spencer of No. 257 Squadron RAF wait on standby in their Hawker Typhoon Mark IBs, and are attended by their ground crews, at Warmwell, Dorset. The further aircraft is JP494 “FM-D.” IWM (CH 11993)
Dating back to the Great War, No. 257 (Burma) Squadron RAF flew Hawker Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain and converted to the Typhon in July 1942. With a Burmese Chinthe sejan lion on their badge and the motto “Thay myay gyee shin shwe hti” (Death or glory), they made it count.
To honor the unit– and all Allied aircraft that flew into the fray some 80 years ago– the RAF’s Typhoon Display Team from 29 Squadron has repainted one of their Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4’s, ZJ913 (Serial #: BS004/047), in the 1944 colors of No. 257 Squadron, complete with invasion stripes.
And the result is stunning:
The RAF Typhoon Display Team has revealed the newly painted display aircraft for the 2024 Display Season at RAF Coningsby. The aircraft paint scheme includes features commemorating D-Day, with 2024 being the 80th Anniversary of the Allies invading Europe. (MOD)
Bold features, including the RAF Tactical Recognition Flash and the D-Day invasion features, bring heaps of heritage to the display team this year. The display aircraft ZJ913 will be a regular at airshows around the UK and will be nicknamed Moggy. Flt Lt David Turnbull from 29 Sqn RAF will be the display pilot for 2024. (MOD)
The bird carries the recognition marks of “Moggy” FM-G, which recalls the aircraft flown by Pilot Officer Denzel Jenkins on D-Day.
As noted by the RAF:
Jenkins began the war as an airman and was commissioned as an officer in Jan 1944. Later, he became Officer Commanding (OC) 257 and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross.
F-16s over the Falklands?
Meanwhile, in other potential RAF Typhoon news, with the blessing of the U.S., Argentina’s defense minister signed a 2.1 billion kroner ($300 million) deal on 15 April to buy 24 of Denmark’s recently retired Cold War-era F-16AM/BM Block 15 MLU fighter jets. While a surprise move for sure, reports are that it came to upset a planned buy of newly built Chinese/Pakistani-made JF-17 fighters by Buenos Aries and a resulting pivot towards Bejing for the nominal U.S. ally.
The move will give Argentina its most modern fighters since its unsupportable French-built Mirage IIIEAs retired in 2015.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark and Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen last month attended an agreement signing at Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark attended by Argentine Minister of Defense Luis Alfonso Petri that included a sheep-dipped twin-seat F-16BM repainted in Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina) livery.
While the RAF has long-maintained a four-ship QRF of Typhoons at Mount Pleasant in the Falklands, which has always been seen as more than sufficient, once Argentina takes possession of their new (to them) 1980s F-16s in quantity, should things get hot down there again, it could get dicey.
