Argentina acknowledged that it lacks the infrastructure for the F-16s that Ukraine was previously supposed to receive
Kyiv • UNN
Argentina acknowledged that it does not have ready infrastructure for the F-16 fighter jets received from Denmark. Work at the air base in Tandil will not be completed before the end of 2028.
Argentina has still not created the infrastructure necessary to operate the F-16 fighter jets, some of which had previously been considered a potential resource for Ukraine. Defense Express writes about this, citing the Argentine publication La Nacion, which spoke with high-ranking military officials in the country, UNN reports.
Details
In April 2024, Argentina signed an agreement with Denmark to purchase 24 used F-16s. It was initially expected that the main airbase for these aircraft would be ready by the end of 2025, but the completion of the work is now expected only by the end of 2028 or the beginning of 2029.
Argentina has so far received six of the 24 ordered fighter jets. A second batch of six aircraft is expected by the end of 2026, while all 24 F-16s may be delivered by the end of 2027.
Problems with basing the F-16s
For now, the fighter jets are stationed at the airfield in Río Cuarto, in Córdoba Province, which is Argentina’s main aviation maintenance center but not a specialized airbase for F-16s.
The aircraft’s main base is to be the Air Force’s 6th Brigade airbase in Tandil. A new runway must be built there, aircraft parking areas expanded, hangars and technical facilities constructed, the power supply modernized, and a number of earthworks carried out, along with the reconstruction of warehouses.
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At the same time, Defense Express draws attention to satellite images that, according to the publication, do not show any active construction work at the base in Tandil.
Argentina purchased 24 F-16s from Denmark for more than $300 million, while the United States separately approved their refurbishment, modernization, and the supply of weapons worth up to $941 million. According to Defense Express, the aircraft were effectively considered for possible transfer to Ukraine, but Denmark ultimately sold them to Argentina.