Copenhagen, January 21, 2026 - Total News Agency - TNA - The Royal Danish Air Force has officially ended the operational life of its F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, closing a 46-year period that turned this aircraft into the cornerstone of the Scandinavian country's air defense since the early 1980s. As part of the 'Peace Condor' program, the Argentine Air Force is advancing the integration of these aircraft. Over more than four decades, they participated in operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya as part of NATO deployments and international coalitions, carrying out surveillance, deterrence, and air support missions. The farewell ceremony took place on January 18 at Skrydstrup Air Base and brought together several generations of pilots, technicians, and military personnel linked to this weapons system. Among the speakers was retired General Christian Hvidt, who was the pilot who first landed an F-16 in Skrydstrup exactly 46 years ago and later commanded the 727th Squadron. He emphasized the level of maintenance and professionalism that allowed the aircraft to remain operational for decades. Thanks to their excellent operational condition, part of the fleet was transferred to other allied countries. At the same time, Denmark is advancing the purchase of an additional batch of fifth-generation fighters from the United States, consolidating its military modernization and full integration with NATO standards. Although the F-16 has been retired from active service in Denmark, it will not be definitively decommissioned. 'We are not talking about the age of the F-16, but about an aircraft maintained by some of the best technicians and flown by some of the best pilots in the world,' he stated. The retirement of the F-16 is happening in parallel with the progress of the F-35 integration program, which has already taken on the main air defense missions. The ceremony was led by Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, and one of its symbolic axes was the display of a historic F-16 alongside a model of the F-35, representing the change of era in the Danish Air Force. Hangar 3 at the base was the epicenter of the event, with a strong presence from the 727th Squadron of the Skrydstrup Combat Wing, a unit closely linked to the operational history of the Fighting Falcon in Denmark. The formal retirement was confirmed with a ceremony at Skrydstrup Air Base, where military authorities confirmed the definitive transfer of responsibilities to the new F-35 weapons system. Introduced in 1980, the Danish F-16 played a key role in both the defense of national airspace and international missions.
