On the afternoon of Sunday, December 15, the C-130 Hercules (registration TC-69) landed at El Palomar Air Base, transporting the airframe of the first F-16 fighter jet for the Argentine Air Force (FAA). This arrival marks a milestone in the FAA’s process of restoring its supersonic capability.
Along with the airframe, the Hercules brought the final components needed to assemble the F-16BM Block 10, which will be put together at the Tandil Air Base, located in the province of Buenos Aires. This base houses the VI Air Brigade, from which the 24 F-16 MLU jets acquired from Denmark will operate.
The transfer of components from Aalborg, Denmark, to Argentina began on December 3. For this operation, the C-130 Hercules with registration TC-66 «Polo Sur» was used. Among the items transported was the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, which powers all variants of the F-16 until the introduction of the «common engine bay,» a design that allows the use of both the P&W F100 (Block 32) and the General Electric F110 (Block 30) in F-16 C/D models of Blocks 30/32.
The aircraft transported in successive C-130 flights is F-16 «number 25», a two-seat F-16B Block 10 model. Although this unit is not airworthy, it will play a key role in the training and development of technical and operational personnel at the base. This aircraft will be assigned to the future Training and Improvement Center of the VI Air Brigade, whose construction is expected to begin soon.
The assembly of the first Argentine F-16 is expected to begin shortly, with technical assistance from Danish personnel. The goal is to hold an official presentation ceremony for the aircraft before the end of the year. However, the Argentine Ministry of Defense has not yet confirmed a specific date for this event.
