President Javier Milei presented the first six F-16 jets acquired from Denmark at the Río Cuarto base in Córdoba, defining them as 'guardian angels' of Argentine airspace. A sticker featuring a light blue and white lion silhouette on one of the fighters drew attention as a tribute to the leader. Local authorities watched the event without an official invitation, while opposition critics questioned its impact on sovereignty.
On December 6, 2025, President Javier Milei led the presentation ceremony of the first six F-16 jets at the Base Área Material Río Cuarto in Las Higueras, Córdoba. These fighters, part of a purchase of 24 upgraded units from Denmark, were described by Milei as a 'turning point' for national defense and 'new custodians of Argentine airspace.' 'From today, we will all be a little safer,' he stated, criticizing previous governments for leaving the country 'poor, defenseless, and without deterrent power.' The president climbed into the cockpit of one of the planes alongside his sister Karina Milei and outgoing Defense Minister Luis Petri, whom he bid farewell by highlighting his legacy: 'He leaves behind a legacy of which these planes are his testament.'
A striking detail was a sticker with a light blue and white lion silhouette on the left flank of that F-16, placed 'in honor of the President,' according to official sources. This image, a symbol of Milei, adds to military traditions like the falcon on A-4s during the Falklands War, also present on the tails of these F-16s. Before the event, the planes flew over Buenos Aires from 8 a.m., surprising residents and tourists along the Costanera and 9 de Julio Avenue.
Provincial and municipal authorities, including Governor Martín Llaryora, Vice Governor Silvio Prunotto, Minister Llamosas, and Río Cuarto Mayor Gianfranco Luchessi, received no official invitation and followed the arrival from the municipal corralón in Las Higueras. Llaryora celebrated the event, claiming Córdoba's 'aeronautical DNA' and its historical role in Argentine military aviation, with the human capital and infrastructure to condition the jets.
Interior Minister Diego Santilli celebrated the arrival with irony on social media: 'We went from incorporating machine-gun llamas to F-16 combat planes,' alluding to the 2020 Jujuy incident where Governor Gerardo Morales donated 20 llamas to the Army for anti-drug logistics, sparking memes from an image of a llama with a rifle. He congratulated Petri for his 'great work,' reinforcing the official modernization narrative.
From the opposition, former Minister Agustín Rossi criticized: 'It's not sovereignty to have bought a plane whose deterrent capacity cannot be used in the South Atlantic against the illegal British occupation in the Malvinas,' warning of high maintenance costs.
