The Argentine President, Javier Milei (La Libertad Avanza), accompanied this Saturday (12/06) the arrival of six F-16 fighters purchased in Denmark. Milei and his group recorded the ceremony on the president’s Instagram profile, and he referred to the plane as “guardian angels.”
The fighters now integrated into the Argentine fleet are part of a total batch of 24 aircraft whose purchase, carried out in 2024, cost around 300 million US dollars (the equivalent of 1.8 billion reais at the exchange rate at the time).
“After a wait that generated anxiety, I finally have behind me the first six F-16 fighters. With this important investment in military armament, we will considerably strengthen our Air Force,” declared the Argentine president during the event.
“Hundreds of thousands of Argentines were able to look up and see, for the first time, their guardian angels crossing the sky. (…) They are the new guardians of Argentine airspace,” added Milei.
See this photo on Instagram
A post shared by La Libertad Avanza (@lalibertadavanzaoficial)
The planes were purchased under the mediation of the US government. According to the press agency Reutersthe total cost of the package, including training and maintenance, reached 560 million US dollars. The Americans even financed $40 million to cover the first installment, with Argentina paying the difference. The United States will also contribute to pilot training.