The dynamics of global security are undergoing radical changes, driven by delayed deliveries, political vetoes, and ambitious technological projects.
As Argentina struggles to integrate its new F-16 fighters, Turkey seeks urgent diplomatic moves to return to the F-35 program, and Japan officially enters the race for hypersonic superiority under the sea.
Argentine F-16s: Prestige Without Ground Infrastructure
Argentina Has Managed to acquire 24 used F-16 fighters from Denmark (which were initially considered a potential resource for Ukraine) for the sum of $301.2 million. According to military analysts of the Ukrainian publication UNN and the Argentine newspaper La Nacion, the country is facing a serious logistical problem.
Buenos Aires admitted that it does not have a ready-made ground infrastructure for the basing and operation of the aircraft. The first six machines, delivered at the end of 2025, are temporarily located at the repair center in Rio Cuarto instead of at the specialized air base in Tandil. The modernization of the runways, hangars and warehouses in Tandil has been seriously delayed due to budget deficits and is not expected to be completed until 2028-2029. The situation has been further complicated by a decree by President Javier Milley, which classified the export of spare parts for maintenance as a state secret, limiting civilian oversight, The Rio Times reported.
Turkey and the F-35 Case: Hostages of the Russian S-400
Turkey's aspiration to return to the international program for the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet remains blocked by the US Congress due to Ankara's possession of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. Although US President Donald Trump has expressed his readiness to lift the sanctions under the CAATSA law, US law prohibits the transfer of the aircraft while the Russian system is on Turkish soil.
Washington fears that the S-400 radar systems could collect and transmit to Moscow critical data about the stealth characteristics of the F-35. According to the American media Semafor and Bloomberg, Ankara is currently negotiating with Russia for permission to resell the complexes to a third country (such as the UAE) or even considering their complete disposal in order to unlock the deal with the US. However, the negotiations are currently at an impasse.
Japan changes doctrine: Hypersonic missiles for submarines
In Asia, there is a historical abandonment of Japan's purely defensive position. Tokyo has launched a large-scale project to develop hypersonic missiles with submarine bases. The project will be implemented in the period 2026-2029 with an initial budget of 3.9 billion yen, South Korean news agency SBS and the specialized publication Militaryni reported.
The country's engineers are developing vertical launch systems (VLS) for submarines that can launch cruise missiles above Mach 5 on unpredictable trajectories. Tokyo's main goal is to build counter-strike capabilities to deter China's growing military power and North Korea's missile tests. In parallel, Japan and Australia have officially agreed to conduct tests of these long-range weapons at Australian ranges over the next decade, Taipei Times confirmed.
The changing security architecture shows that possessing modern weapons requires not only huge financial resources, but also full geopolitical compliance with global alliances.