Top Aces to train Argentine Air Force pilots on F-16s

Top Aces has been awarded a contract to provide F-16 instructor pilot training for the Argentine Air Force, adding a new training pillar to Buenos Aires’ ongoing effort to field its newly acquired Danish Fighting Falcons.

The company announced on March 16, 2026, that it had been selected to deliver the training program in support of Argentina’s F-16 introduction. The announcement follows a US government contract notice published on February 24, 2026, which said Top Aces had received a $33.19 million firm-fixed-price award for F-16 instructor pilot training under the Foreign Military Sales framework. Work is to be performed in Argentina and is expected to run through June 30, 2029.

According to Top Aces, the program will cover the full spectrum of F-16 pilot instruction, from the Basic Course for initial qualification to Mission Qualification Training, Flight Lead Upgrade and Instructor Pilot Upgrade. The company said the contract includes two years of comprehensive pilot training with an option for a third year.

Though Top Aces commercially operates a fleet of upgraded ex-Israeli Air Force F-16A aircraft, training is to be carried out using Argentina’s own F-16 aircraft at Argentine Air Force bases, with a mix of classroom teaching, simulator work and live-flying instruction.

“Top Aces is honored to be selected by the FAA to develop this advanced airpower capability,” said Steve Haase, US Group President at Top Aces. “Our instructor pilots bring extensive U.S. Air Force backgrounds, each with more than 20 years of service and an average of over 2,300 flight hours in the F-16. Having built a fully operational F-16 enterprise from the ground up, Top Aces is uniquely positioned to train the next generation of Argentine combat leaders on their new and highly capable F-16 platform.”

Building Argentina’s F-16 force

(Credit: Top Ace)The training contract is directly tied to Argentina’s acquisition of 24 second-hand F-16 Block 10/15 fighters from Denmark, a deal formalized in April 2024 and described at the time as the country’s most significant combat aviation investment in decades. Argentina had long sought a replacement for its aging fast-jet inventory, after several previous fighter acquisition efforts failed to materialize.

In October 2024, the US State Department also approved a potential $941 million Foreign Military Sale package to equip and support Argentina’s F-16 fleet. That proposed package included AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles, bombs, communications, and Link-16 support equipment, spare parts, software, training devices, and personnel training.

The new Top Aces award appears aimed at helping Argentina build an indigenous cadre of qualified F-16 instructors and operational leaders in-country, rather than relying solely on overseas training pipelines. The Pentagon contract notice stated the program is intended to enable partner-nation pilots to achieve “independent operational capability outside of the continental US.”The post Top Aces to train Argentine Air Force pilots on F-16s appeared first on AeroTime.

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