President Javier Milei led the official reception in Córdoba for the first F-16 aircraft intended for the Argentine Air Force
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In the Área Material Río Cuarto, in Córdoba, President Javier Milei led the official ceremony to receive the first F-16 aircraft acquired from Denmark: four F-16BM two-seaters and two F-16AM single-seaters. The aircraft arrived in the country after a transfer operation with in-flight refueling, accompanied by a Boeing 737 T-99 "Islas Malvinas" and a Hercules assigned to search and rescue tasks.
The aircraft will be refurbished at the Área Material and then assigned to the VI Air Brigade in Tandil, marking a qualitative leap in the capabilities of Argentina's airspace defense.
"The F-16s are the new guardians of the Argentine sky," Milei stated. "Today, hundreds of thousands of Argentines were able to look up and see their guardian angels soaring through the sky for the first time."
Military modernization and sovereignty: the pillars of the presidential address
Milei celebrated the strategic decision to invest in defense and maintained that the arrival of the F-16s marks the end of a period of neglect and the beginning of a process to modernize the Armed Forces.
"Each and every one of us will be a little safer," he remarked, emphasizing that his administration is determined to reverse "decades of mistreatment" toward the Armed Forces.
Javier Milei: 'Los F-16 son símbolo de la Argentina que estamos construyendo'
He also placed special emphasis on the concept of sovereignty: "Any country that wants to develop must be able to command respect. There is no sovereignty without economic prosperity and without military capabilities to defend what has been achieved."
The President also endorsed the appointment of Lieutenant General Carlos Presti as the new Minister of Defense: "He is a man who swore to defend with his life the land where he was born. Competence must be the central criterion, not camera ratings."
A change of course: restoring the strategic role of the Armed Forces
The president reaffirmed that his government seeks to leave behind the period in which, as he explained, the Armed Forces were subject to ideological prejudice and institutional mistreatment. He emphasized that modernizing the defense system is key to the country's future.
"These aircraft are a symbol of the Argentina we are building: a serious country, regaining capabilities, reintegrating into the world, and taking itself seriously," he said.
Javier Milei: 'Los F-16 son símbolo de la Argentina que estamos construyendo'
He concluded with a phrase that resonated among those present: "Today, more than ever, we can say that the forces of the sky are accompanying us."
Political and military presence at a historic event
The event was attended by Karina Milei; outgoing Minister of Defense, Luis Petri, and his successor, Carlos Presti; Chief of Staff, Manuel Adorni; Minister of Security, Alejandra Monteoliva; Minister of the Interior, Diego Santilli; Minister of Deregulation, Federico Sturzenegger; Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno; and President of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem.
