At a farewell ceremony at Skrydstrup Air Base over the weekend, the Royal Danish Air Force retired the last of its American-made F-16 Fighting Falcons. The decision to clip the wings of the Cold War aircraft had nothing to do with the Trump administration’s saber-rattling over Greenland. Instead, Copenhagen sold the aging warbirds—with Washington’s approval—to Argentina, replacing them with the more advanced F-35 Lightning II.
Denmark’s F-16s Have a Long History
Denmark first adopted the F-16 in 1980, and it flew with the RDAF in combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Serbia, and Syria. More recently, Denmark’s Fighting Falcons were employed in the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission, during which the aircraft were deployed to bases in Estonia and Lithuania. The aircraft also took part in similar NATO patrols in Greenland and Iceland. According to Flight Global, the Nordic nation originally acquired 58 A/B models, along with additional fighters over the past 4.5 decades.
The F-16s were upgraded during their service life, making them capable aircraft in spite of their age. Along with Belgium and the Netherlands, Denmark was also one of the NATO allies that donated several F-16 aircraft to Ukraine.
Denmark’s Warbirds Are Now on Their Way to Argentina
As previously reported, the first six of 24 F-16s were greeted by Argentine President Javier Milei at another ceremony last month. The Latin American nation had purchased the multirole fighters from Denmark as part of a $300 million arms deal, one of the largest concluded by Buenos Aires in decades.
Milei, a right-wing populist whose 2023 victory was widely regarded as a break with Argentina’s Peronist tradition, framed the aircraft purchase as a key step toward restoring Argentina’s military capabilities. He claimed the Argentine military had been on a long decline after former presidential administrations had “mistreated” it.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 1978
- Number Built: 4,600+
- Length: 47 ft 8 in (14.52 m)
- Wingspan: 31 ft (9.45 m)
- Weight (MTOW): 37,500 lbs (16,875 kg)
- Engine(s): One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 afterburning turbofan (23,000 lbf thrust static sea level)
- Top Speed: 1,319 mph (2,122 km/h) / Mach 1.73
- Range: 1,260 mi (2,027 km)
- Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
- Loadout: One General Electric M61A1 20mm six-barrel cannon; up to 15,200 lbs on nine hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinder on wingtip rails; alternatives include the MATRA Magic 2 or Rafael Python 3)
- Aircrew: 1 (F-16A) or 2 (F-16B)
Denmark Is Adopting the F-35 Lightning II
Even as Denmark retired its flock of Fighting Falcons, the NATO nation is adopting the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. Copenhagen’s program of record calls for 43 fifth-generation stealth fighters, including the original order of 27 fighters, supplemented by an additional 16 jets approved only last fall.
That came due, almost ironically, to the geopolitical tensions over the Trump administration’s obsession with Greenland, a sign that Denmark is committed to the semi-autonomous island’s security.
It was, however, nearly a year ago that Danish defense committee chairman Rasmus Jarlov expressed regret that Copenhagen had adopted the F-35 due to security concerns.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Richard Whitcombe.
