According to what has been reported in recent hours, a delegation from Argentina led by the current Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Presti, is exploring with its Belgian counterparts different alternatives to ensure the maintenance of its F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter fleet. This development comes within the framework of the minister’s visit to the so-called Munich Security Conference held in Germany, where he is scheduled to participate in meetings with European partners and industrial stakeholders that could potentially strengthen their presence in the country.
Expanding on the details, Lieutenant General Presti’s agenda includes a meeting with the Belgian Minister of Defense, Theo Francken, with whom progress is also expected on proposals related to promoting technical exchange between both countries and the future implementation of combined activities. Additionally, it was reported that the occasion has also served to confirm the reopening of the Military Attaché Office in Brussels during the course of this same year.
While awaiting further updates, it is useful to recall that Belgium possesses the knowledge and industrial capacity required to undertake maintenance of the F-16 MLU fleet that Argentina is in the process of incorporating, meaning that a partnership would represent a logical step moving forward. In particular, this could take place through the company Sabena Engineering, which has more than 50 years of experience supporting various air forces around the world, including those of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States, following its association with Sabca as part of the Orizio Group.
As stated on its official website, the company has the capability to perform airframe maintenance at different levels, as well as major structural and specific component repairs. Furthermore, it affirms that it can carry out rewiring tasks, disassembly, wing modifications, and repainting, while also being capable of subjecting various internal aircraft systems to inspections to ensure certification.
As a recent example of these capabilities, it is worth highlighting that Sabena Engineering has been selected by the United States to provide technical assistance and maintenance for the fleet of F-16 fighters operated by the Air Force of Ukraine, which operates aircraft donated by several European allies. For this purpose, the Pentagon awarded a contract worth more than $235.4 million, enabling the aircraft to receive this type of work at the company’s facilities in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert through January 2029.
*Image credits: Ministry of Defense.
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