This Monday, F-16 fighter jets flew over Buenos Aires as part of the commemoration of the 114th anniversary of the creation of the Military Aviation School.
The activity was organized by the Argentine Air Force, which celebrated a foundational date for the development of military aviation in the country.
The event included a large operation that combined an aerial passage over different sectors of the Federal Capital with a land parade in which members of the institution participated. In total, the deployment included more than 30 aircraft, with the F-16s as the main protagonists of the day.
The maneuvers began at 9:45 and extended over emblematic points of the city, including the Obelisk, Jorge Newbery Airport, the North Coast, and the River Monumental Stadium. The activity generated great anticipation, especially after the announcement made by the Air Force on its social media.
“If you like planes, you can't miss them. Get your cell phone camera ready and all your excitement to hear... the engines roar,” the institution expressed in the invitation directed to the public.
The aerial display was part of a commemorative day that also included an official ceremony, led by the Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Presti, and the head of the Argentine Air Force, Brigadier General Gustavo Javier Valverde.
F16 Aircraft
The F-16 Jets
The presence of the F-16s at the event had a particular significance, as they are the new fighter jets recently incorporated into the country, as part of the modernization process of the Armed Forces carried out by the Government of Javier Milei.
Argentina acquired 24 fighters from Denmark through an agreement signed in 2024 by the president, constituting one of the main military acquisitions of recent decades.
The first batch of these aircraft, consisting of six units, arrived in the country in December 2025. According to the established schedule, a second group of six F-16s is expected to arrive in September 2026, which will allow for a total of 12 operational units at that stage of the process.
President Javier Milei
The incorporation program aims to complete a fleet of 24 fighters, as part of a plan to modernize the combat capability of the Argentine Air Force.
In this context, the flyover of the F-16s not only formed part of the institutional celebration but also served as a showcase of the current equipment of the force and its evolution since the beginnings of military aviation in the country.
The day thus combined the symbolic component of the anniversary with an operational demonstration, in which both aircraft and personnel from the institution participated, in a deployment that reflected the ongoing renewal process within the Argentine Air Force.
The incorporation of these fighters by the Government of Javier Milei represents a significant change in the capabilities of the force, following a prolonged period marked by a lack of investment in defense.
