Argentina will buy 24 American F16 Fighting Falcon aircraft for the Argentine Air Force. The weapons will be a second contract, to be signed with the United States.
The background is the unresolved conflict over the Malvinas and British suspicion of any rearmament that could pose a threat to them. With this acquisition, the Air Force will nevertheless recover its supersonic capacity, lost since the French Mirages, which had acted in theMalvinas war, were deprogrammed at the end of 2015. The planes also do not have British components, as happened in the failed talks for the Swedish Gripen a few years ago, or the impossibility of flying of the Super Etendard acquired during Mauricio Macri's administration. The F16s have the capacity to carry a variety of weapons in a single sortie, according to sources in the military and aeronautical industry. They mention AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles (in its 120-kilometer range version) and the short-range AIM -9M Sidewinder.