The transfer of an F-16BM fighter on a plane from Denmark to Argentina with a stopover in Spain

In April, the purchase of 24 F-16 fighters by Argentina from Denmark was signed, to replace the A-4AR Fightinghawk.

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In recent weeks, the first of these F-16s has been transferred to Argentina, specifically a two-seater F-16BM Block 10.

The largest cargo transport aircraft of the Argentine Air Force is the Lockheed C-130 Hercules (it has seven in total: five C-130H, two KC-130H tankers and one L-100-30), so this historic aircraft has been responsible for carrying that first F-16B to Argentina.

The first transfer was made by the C-130H TC-66 "Polo Sur" (c/n 382-4464), an aircraft that has been in service with the Argentine Air Force since 1972. This aircraft has a range of 3,800 kilometers.

The distance between Aalborg Airport in Denmark (from where this first F-16B took off) to Tandil Air Base, where the Argentine F-16s will have their new home, is 12,300 kilometers, so during the trip the C-130H had to make a few stops. One of the stops took place at the Spanish air base of Gando, in the Canary Islands.

This first flight from the "South Pole" to Denmark took place on December 3rd. The purpose of this trip was to transport some of the F-16BM components. The main piece transported on this trip was the General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan engine, weighing almost two tons and measuring 5.9 meters in length.

For Argentina this is a historic moment, since the acquisition of the F-16 allows its Air Force to recover supersonic capacity, lost after the withdrawal of the Argentine Mirage III and Mirage 5 from service in 2015. Above these lines we see the crew of the "South Pole" with the flags of Argentina and Denmark in this first transfer.

The last components of this first F-16BM arrived in Argentina this week. This final shipment included the largest part of the F-16BM: the fuselage of the aircraft, which we see here covered with a net.

The fuselage transfer was entrusted to the KC-130H TC-69 "Puerto Argentino" (c/n 382-4814), an aircraft in service with the Argentine Air Force since 1979 and the first aircraft to carry out an in-flight refueling with that Air Force. During the Falklands War it was modified to be used as a bomber. According to the blog Historias Individuales, it is the only Hercules to have sunk a ship, during a bombing mission in that war.

You can see here the photos of this spectacular cargo operation that have been published by the Argentine Air Force and the Ministry of Defense of that country.

In order to fit the F-16BM fuselage onto the KC-130H, the wings, fins, stabilizers and nose of the fighter had to be removed.

Personnel from the Royal Danish Air Force collaborated in this operation carried out at Aalborg Airport, in northern Denmark.

The TC-69 took to the Tandil Air Base on Thursday, December 12,, transporting its valuable cargo. The Argentine Ministry of Defense commented: "A dream that our fighter pilots have been waiting for for a long time and that is now about to become a reality. It's getting closer and closer!"

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Photos: Fuerza Aérea Argentina / Ministerio de Defensa de Argentina.