This article describes the composition and actions of the
Argentine air forces
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...
in the
Falklands War ( es, Guerra de las Malvinas), which comprised units of the
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
,
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
,
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
and other services.
For a description of air forces of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, see
British air services in the Falklands War
This is a list of the units, aircraft and casualties of the British air services in the Falklands War. The numbers in bold are the number of aircraft used in the war, the numbers in brackets are the number of lost aircraft. For a list of air fo ...
.
Background
Despite initiating the war, Argentina had not prepared a plan for the subsequent defence of the islands. The
military dictatorship that governed the country at the time regarded the seizure of the Falklands as a political act to obtain a diplomatic bargaining position, and not as an act of war. Consequently they were taken by surprise when the British responded with a large-scale mobilization, and a task force to retake the islands.
![IAI Dagger fuerza aerea argentina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/IAI_Dagger_fuerza_aerea_argentina.jpg)
The
Argentine Air Force
"Argentine Wings"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War)
, equipment = 139 aircraft
, equipment_label =
, battles =
* Operation Independence
* Operation Soberanía
* Falkl ...
(''Fuerza Aérea Argentina''; FAA), which had never fought against an external enemy since its establishment in 1912, had never considered the possibility of waging a long-range naval air campaign against a major
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
power. It was not trained or equipped for such a mission. The FAA had only two
tanker aircraft
This is a list of tanker aircraft used for aerial refuelling of another aircraft whilst in powered flight.
Refueling methods
;Looped hose: The first commercial method employed a hose which was held slack in a trailing half-loop behind both air ...
to serve the whole air force and navy, and its fighter-bomber
Mirage III
The Dassault Mirage III () is a family of single/dual-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation. It was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in horizonta ...
s and
IAI Daggers were not equipped for
aerial refuelling
Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...
. The FAA's training, tactics and equipment were focused on a possible war against
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, resulting from disputes such as the
Beagle conflict
The Beagle conflict was a border dispute between Chile and Argentina over the possession of Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands and the scope of the maritime jurisdiction associated with those islands that brought the countries to the brink of war i ...
.
The option to attack Chile
[Argentine newspaper ]Perfil
''Perfil'' is an Argentine weekly newspaper based in Buenos Aires and refounded in 2005.
History
The newspaper was first launched by Jorge Fontevecchia on 9 May 1998 as a daily newspaper, but poor sales forced its closure on 31 July of the sa ...
br>Después de Malvinas, iban a atacar a Chile
on 22 November 2009, retrieved 22 November 2009:
:''"Para colmo, Galtieri dijo en un discurso: „Que saquen el ejemplo de lo que estamos haciendo ahora porque después les toca a ellos“"''. was a cause of great concern to the Argentina military during the war. The
Chilean armed forces
The Chilean Armed Forces ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Chile) is the unified military organization comprising the Chilean Army, Air Force, and Navy. The President of Chile is the commander-in-chief of the military, and formulates policy through the Mi ...
had deployed a significant force to Chile's common border with Argentina, and the FAA was forced to reinstate their retired
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
s to bolster Argentina's air defences. In Argentina's favour,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
immediately offered its support to the Argentine cause, with the
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force ( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea del Perú, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguardin ...
even offering to fly combat missions. This was politely declined by the Argentine government. As the war progressed, Peru and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
sent critical aircraft spare parts to Argentina, urgently needed by the FAA and the
Brazilian Air Force leased two
EMB111 Bandeirantes maritime patrol aircraft to the Argentine Navy. Finally on June 4, ten Peruvian
Mirage 5
The Dassault Mirage 5 is a French supersonic attack aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the 1960s and manufactured in France and a number of other countries. It was derived from Dassault's popular Mirage III fighter and spawned sever ...
with
AS-30
The AS-30 was an air-to-ground missile built by Nord Aviation. It was a precision attack weapon designed to be used against high-value targets such as bridges and bunkers. The AS-30 was essentially a larger version of the earlier AS-20 design, an ...
missiles arrived to
Tandil
Tandil is the main city of the homonymous partido (department), located in Argentina, in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, just north-northwest of Tandilia hills. The city was founded in 1823 and its name originates from the ''Piedra Moved ...
but the war ended before they could be used.
Israel Aircraft Industries
Israel Aerospace Industries (Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ''ha-ta'asiya ha-avirit le-yisra'el'') or IAI (תע"א) is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both mi ...
technicians that were in the country under the 1979
IAI Daggers contract continued their work during the conflict.
By the best estimates, Argentina had about 240 planes when the war broke out. About half of those were posted in the interior and along the Chilean border. The long distances from their bases prevented them from using their top speed or they risked running out of fuel.
["the Mach 2 Mirage and Dagger which in low-level attack are extremely subsonic. ..while low-level attacks by the Argentine aircraft..there would not be a lot of fuel to spare, especially if afterburner was used." From ''Aviation Fact File - Harrier'' (1984), page 42.] Although the Argentines had more aeroplanes than the British Task force, a good number of them were Pucara turboprops.
["The Argentine-built Pucará counter-insurgency aircraft proved its worth in numerous attacks on British land forces, and it was even used to attack shipping. About 75 Pucarás were in service at the start of the conflict." From ''Sea Combat off the Falklands'' (1982), page 33; by Antony Preston; Willow Books, .] Also, the A-4 Skyhawk force were dependent on the two available KC-130 tankers, limiting the number of aeroplanes which could attack simultaneously.
Argentina's fleet of
A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed ...
attack jets was in very poor condition. The arms embargo placed by the United States in 1976, due to the "
Dirty War
The Dirty War ( es, Guerra sucia) is the name used by the military junta or civic-military dictatorship of Argentina ( es, dictadura cívico-militar de Argentina, links=no) for the period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983 as ...
", had made most airframes unusable. The involvement of Israel in helping to return the A-4 to full operational status has been alleged, but has never been confirmed.
[Commodore Ruben Oscar Moro ''La Guerra Inaudita'', 2000 ]
The small
air arm of the Argentine Navy (''Armada Republica Argentina''; ARA) was in the middle of the transition from the A-4Q Skyhawk to the new
Super Etendard
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butt ...
. Only five of the Etendard's anti-ship
Exocet
The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Etymology
The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...
missiles had been delivered at the time of the conflict, at which point an arms embargo prevented the delivery of further shipments. Additionally, the required programming for the missiles to interact with the Etendard's computers had not been completed by French engineers when the conflict broke out. France, being an ally of the United Kingdom, recalled all technicians, which left Argentine scientists and electronic engineers to figure out a way to make the missiles take input from the plane's computers. Navy pilots, particularly those of the 3rd Naval Fighters Squadron flying ''A-4Qs,'' were the only personnel trained in bombing warships. Air Force pilots trained during April against the two Argentine
Type 42 destroyers, similar to those of the British Fleet, and according to the Naval officers all the sorties were shot down, causing great concern to the High Command until the successful May 1 strikes which proved that aircraft could survive.
Finally, Argentine military aviation had never been involved in an international conflict, indeed the last time the Argentine military had been involved in an international conflict was the
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...
more than a century before.
In spite of these disadvantages, Argentine air units bore the brunt of the battle during the six-week war, and inflicted serious damage and losses to the naval forces of the United Kingdom. Low-flying jets attacking British ships provided some of the most sobering and dramatic images of the war. By the end of the conflict, the British forces had come to admire the FAA's spirited conduct in the face of an effective air defence network.
["The British were awed by the courage of the Argentine pilots, flying suicidally low to attack, then vanishing amid flashes of pursuing Sea Cat, Blowpipe, Rapier, racing across the sky behind them. Alone among the enemy's three services, the air force seemed highly motivated and utterly committed to the battle. 'We should have been able to work out that any nation which produces first-class Formula One racing drivers is also likely to turn out some pretty good pilots.'" - Chapter 12; Hastings, Max: ''The Battle for the Falklands'' (1983) Michael Joseph Ltd ] Admiral
Sandy Woodward
Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward, (1 May 1932 – 4 August 2013) was a senior Royal Navy officer who commanded the Task Force of the Falklands War.
Early life
Woodward was born on 1 May 1932 at Penzance, Cornwall, to a bank clerk. He ...
, the British Task Force commander said: "
e Argentine Air Force fought extremely well and we felt a great admiration for what they did."
The British Operational Research Branch Report declassified and released to the public in February 2013 states:
Organisation
The air units involved in the Falklands War were under the following
chain of command
A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part.
Milit ...
:
*
Military junta
A military junta () is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in ...
–
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
(Lieutenant General) Basilio Lami Dozo
Basilio Arturo Ignacio Lami Dozo (1 February 1929 – 1 February 2017) was a member of the Argentine Air Force. He participated in the military dictatorship known as the National Reorganisation Process (1976–1983) and, along with Leopoldo For ...
** Air Defence Command ( es, Comando Aéreo de Defensa) – Brigadier
Jorge Hughes was in charge of the radar network, Mirage IIIEA interceptors and anti-aircraft defences on the mainland.
** Strategic Air Command ( es, Comando Aéreo Estratégico) - Brigadier Helmuth Weber. Coordinated air assets through all the country. The CAE also had the main role of long range maritime surveillance with Boeing 707s and C-130 Hercules.
*** Southern Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Sur) – Brigadier
Ernesto Crespo. The FAS was the main organisation involved in combat over the conflict zone.
** South Atlantic Military Theatre ( es, Teatro Operaciones Atlantico Sur) - Vice Admiral
Juan Lombardo. Basically a
naval command with the role of coordinating the air, surface and submarine assets in the South Atlantic area. Initially, during the
invasion of the islands on 2 April and before hostilities broke out, the islands were supposedly to be under their command and was considered as the only organisation needed to manage the ''crisis''.
*** Falklands Military Garrison ( es, Guarnicion Militar Malvinas) - Brigade General
Mario Menéndez
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
(
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
)
**** Air Component ( es, Componente Aéreo) - Brigadier Luis Castellano
Deployment
Air units moved from home bases to southern facilities. Amid fears about British/Chilean air strikes and/or
SAS raids, Argentine aircraft were dispersed in the surrounding areas of their southern airfields, e.g., several parts of the national route #3 were used for this purpose.
*
Ezeiza International Airport
Ministro Pistarini International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini) , also known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location in the Ezeiza Partido in Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport s ...
, Buenos Aires
**
Boeing 707
*
NAS Almirante Zar,
Trelew
Trelew (, from cy, tref "town" and the name of the founder, Lewis Jones) is a city in the eastern part of the Chubut Province of Argentina. Located in Patagonia, the city is the largest and most populous in the low valley of the Chubut River, wi ...
, Chubut Province
**
B.Mk62 Canberra
* AFB
Comodoro Rivadavia, IX Air Brigade, Chubut Province ''( FAS command site )''
map
**
KC/C-130 Hercules
**
Fokker F28
The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a twin-engined, short-range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.
Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional airliner, Fokk ...
**
Escuadron Fenix
**
Mirage IIIEA
**
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará ( qu, Fortress) is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-turboprop all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, capa ...
**
CIC
CIC may refer to:
Organizations Canada
* Cadet Instructors Cadre, a part of the Canadian Armed Forces
* Canadian Infantry Corps, renamed in 1947 to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
* Canadian International Council
* Canadian Islamic Congress
* Chemi ...
''Comodoro'', air traffic control center
* Airfield
Puerto San Julián
Puerto San Julián, also known historically as Port St. Julian, is a natural harbour in Patagonia in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina located at . In the days of sailing ships it formed a stopping point, south of Puerto Deseado (''Port Desir ...
, Santa Cruz Province
**
IAI Dagger - ''La Marinete'' Squadron
**
A-4C Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed a ...
**Cardion
AN/TPS-44
The AN/TPS-44 is a transportable 2-dimensional air search radar produced in the United States originally by Cardion Electronics.
Description
The AN/TPS-44 is a ground-based, non-fixed (i.e.: transportable) search radar.The US Military descript ...
radar w/ GADA 601 ''Army''
* Airfield
Puerto Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Province
**
A-4P Skyhawk
* AFB
Rio Gallegos
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
, Santa Cruz Province
**
Mirage IIIEA
**
A-4P Skyhawk
**
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará ( qu, Fortress) is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-turboprop all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, capa ...
**Navy Exploration Squadron after 13 May:
S-2E Trackers and 2 leased Brazilian Air Force
EMB111 Bandeirantes (2-P-201 & 2-P-202)
**
CIC
CIC may refer to:
Organizations Canada
* Cadet Instructors Cadre, a part of the Canadian Armed Forces
* Canadian Infantry Corps, renamed in 1947 to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
* Canadian International Council
* Canadian Islamic Congress
* Chemi ...
''Gallegos'', air traffic control center
* NAS Almirante Quijada,
Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego
Río Grande is a city in Argentina, on the north coast of the eastern part of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. It has a population of 67,038, and is the industrial capital of the Tierra del Fuego Province. It is located north-east of Ushua ...
**
IAI Dagger - ''Las Avutardas Salvajes'' Squadron
**
A-4Q Skyhawk
**
Super Étendard
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butto ...
**
SP-2H Neptune
* AFB Puerto Argentino,
Port Stanley Airport
Port Stanley Airport is an airport in the Falkland Islands, outside the capital, Stanley. The airport is the only civilian airport in the islands with a paved runway. However, RAF Mount Pleasant, located to the west of Stanley, functions ...
, Falkland Islands
**
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará ( qu, Fortress) is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-turboprop all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, capa ...
''Air Force''
**
Aermacchi MB.339A ''Navy''
**
T-34 Mentor
The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is an American propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston ...
''Navy''
**
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s from all services
**
CIC
CIC may refer to:
Organizations Canada
* Cadet Instructors Cadre, a part of the Canadian Armed Forces
* Canadian Infantry Corps, renamed in 1947 to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
* Canadian International Council
* Canadian Islamic Congress
* Chemi ...
''Malvinas'',
AN/TPS-43
The AN/TPS-43 is a transportable air search 3D radar produced in the United States originally by Westinghouse Defense and Electronic Division, which was later purchased by Northrop-Grumman. It is used primarily for early warning and tactical co ...
radar and
anti-aircraft defences from all services
* AFB Condor,
Goose Green
Goose Green is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. It lies on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central isthmus, south-southwest of Darwin. With a population of about 40, it is the third-largest s ...
grass airfield, Falkland Islands
**
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará ( qu, Fortress) is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-turboprop all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, capa ...
''Air Force''
**
Anti-aircraft cannons ''Air Force''
* NAS Calderon,
Pebble Island
Pebble Island is one of the Falkland Islands, situated north of West Falkland
West Falkland ( es, Isla Gran Malvina) is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by th ...
grass airfield, Falkland Islands
**
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará ( qu, Fortress) is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-turboprop all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, capa ...
''Air Force''
**
T-34 Mentor
The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is an American propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston ...
''Navy''
**
Short Skyvan ''Coast Guard''
* Aircraft carrier
ARA Veinticinco de Mayo,
April 2 to May 3
**
McDonnell Douglas A-4Q Skyhawk
**
Grumman S-2E Tracker
**
Sikorsky S-61D-4
Units
The numbers in bold are the number of aircraft engaged in combat without counting those in reserve, the numbers in brackets are the number of aircraft lost during the war.
Argentine Air Force
es, Fuerza Aérea Argentina
* 1st Air Brigade -
**
Lockheed C-130H Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
, 7 (1)
**Lockheed KC-130H Hercules Tanker 2
**
Boeing 707-320C
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
、 3
**
Fokker F-28-1000C 、6
**
Fokker F-27-400M、 12
* 2nd Air Brigade -
English Electric B.62 Canberra、 8 (2)
** Grupo Aérofotográfico -
Learjet 35A
The Learjet Model 35 and Model 36 are a series of American multi-role business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet. When used by the United States Air Force they carry the designation C-21A.
The aircraft are powered by ...
2 (1)
* 3rd Air Brigade -
** Falkland Islands -
FMA IA 58A Pucará 24 (13)
** Comodoro Rivadavia - FMA IA 58A Pucará 1 (1)
* 4th Air Brigade -
McDonnell Douglas A-4C Skyhawk 16 (9)
* 5th Air Brigade -
McDonnell Douglas A-4B Skyhawk 30 (10)
* 6th Air Brigade -
Israel Aircraft Industries Dagger 27 (11)
* 7th Air Brigade -
**
Lockheed C-130E Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
, 3
**
Boeing CH-47C Chinook 2
**
Bell 212 2
*
8th Air Brigade
**
Dassault Mirage III
The Dassault Mirage III () is a family of single/dual-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation. It was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach number, Mach 2 ...
EA 16 (2)
**
DHC-6-200 1
Argentine Navy
![Neptune SP-2H ARA (2853482947)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Neptune_SP-2H_ARA_%282853482947%29.jpg)
es, Comando de Aviación Naval Argentina - COAN (
Argentine Naval Aviation
)
Gulf War
, anniversaries =
, decorations =
, battle_honours =
, commander1 = President
, commander1_label = Commander-in-Chief
, commander2 ...
)
* 1st Naval Air Attack Squadron -
Aermacchi MB.339A 6 (2)
*
2nd Naval Air Fighter/Attack Squadron -
Dassault Super Étendard
Dassault Group (; also GIM Dassault or Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault SAS) is a French group of companies established in 1929 with the creation of Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (now Dassault Aviation) by Marcel Dassault, and led by son ...
4 (sn. 3-A-201 was cannibalized for spare parts)
* 3rd Naval Air Fighter/Attack Squadron -
McDonnell Douglas A-4Q Skyhawk 8 (3)
* Naval Air Antisubmarine Squadron -
Grumman S-2E Tracker 6
* Naval Air Training Squadron -
Beechcraft T-34C-1 Toubo Mentor 4 (4)
* Naval Air Exploration Squadron -
Lockheed SP-2H Neptune 2 (both retired by end of May due to airframe attrition)
* 1st Naval Air Helicopter Squadron -
**
Aérospatiale Alouette AI03 SA361B 10 (1)
**
Lynx Mk.23 2 (1)
**
Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander 1
* 2nd Naval Air Helicopter Squadron -
Sikorsky S-61D-4 5
* Naval Air Transport Squadrons -
**
Lockheed L-188PF Electra 3
**
Fokker F-28-3000C 3
**
P-95 Bandeirulha 2
Argentine Army
es, Comando de Aviación del Ejército Argentino (
Argentine Army Aviation
The Argentine Army Aviation ( es, Comando de Aviación de Ejército, AvEj) is the army aviation branch of the Argentine Army. Their members have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Army.
Along with its primary role of supporting ...
)
* 601 Army Aviation Battalion -
**
Boeing CH-47C Chinook 2 (1)
**
Agusta A109A 3 (1)
**
Bell UH-1H Iroquois 9
**
Aérospatiale Puma SA330L 5 (5).
** South Georgia April 3 -
Aérospatiale Puma SA330L 1 (1)
Argentine Coast Guard
es, Prefectura Naval Argentina
* Aviation Service -
**
Aérospatiale Puma SA330L 1
**
Short Skyvan 3M-200 5 (2)
Argentine auxiliary aircraft
*
Escuadrón Fénix
The Phoenix Squadron ( es, Escuadrón Fénix) was a volunteers' special unit of the Argentine Air Force established during the 1982 Falklands War.
History
The Argentine Air Force reconnaissance force at that time was formed around the ''Grupo ...
— 77 civilian business planes:
**
Agusta 109C 1
**
Aero Commander 500B 2
**
Aero Commander 500S/Shrike Commander 1
**
Aero Commander 680FL Grand Commander 1
**
Aero Commander AC690A 2
**
Aero Commander AC690B 2
**
Aero Commander AC690C 1
**
Bell 205A-1 1
**
Bell 206 1
**
Bell 212 1
**
MBB Bo 105A 4
**
Cessna500 Citation I 4
**
Cessna501 Citation I 1
**
Cessna550 Citation II 1
**
C-47B-15-DK 2
**
DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner
manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...
2
**
Gates Learjet24 1
**
Gates Learjet24A 2
**
Gates Learjet24D 1
**
Gates Learjet25D 3
**
Gates Learjet35 4
**
Gates Learjet35A 1
**
Gates Learjet36A 1
**
Gates Learjet36C 1
**
Hawker Siddeley HS.125-700B 1
**
IA50G2 Guaraní II 1
**
Mitsubishi MU-2B-26A 4
**
MD 500C 3
**
Piper Aerostar600A 11
**
Piper Aerostar TS600 5
**
Piper Aerostar TS601A 1
**
Piper Aerostar TS601B 1
**
Piper Aerostar TS601P 1
**
SA226-T Merlin IIIB 1
**
Sikorsky S-61N
The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the SH-3 Sea King military helicopter. It was developed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft.
The commercial version of the Sea King was developed during the ...
2
**
Sikorsky S-58T
The Sikorsky H-34 "Choctaw" (company designation S-58) is an American piston-engined military helicopter originally designed by Sikorsky as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft for the United States Navy. It has seen extended use when ad ...
2
*
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas, formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and the country flag carrier. The airline was created in 1949 from the merger of four companies and started operations in . A consortium led by Iberia ...
and
Austral airlines:
**
Boeing 737-200
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...
2
**
BAC 1-11-515FB 1 (airlift to
Patagonia
Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...
and
Port Stanley
Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a popula ...
).
Armament
*Machine guns and autocannons:
**
7.62 mm FM M2-20: ''Pucaras''
**
20 mm Colt Mk.12 Cannon: ''A-4s''
**
20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.804 Cannon: ''Pucaras''
** 30 mm
DEFA cannon: ''IAI Daggers'' and ''Mirage IIIEA''
*Unguided rockets:
** ZUNI 127 mm: ''MB.339s''
** 70 mm: ''MB339s''
** 105 mm: ''Pucaras''
*Missiles:
** air-to-air missile, Air-to-Air:
*** AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-9B Sidewinder short-range IR: only Navy ''A-4Q Skyhawks'' up to May 1
*** Python (missile), Rafael Shafrir 2 short-range IR: ''IAI Daggers'' and A-4C on May 1
*** R550 Magic, Matra R550 Magic short-range IR: received April 15 for ''Mirage IIIEA''
[According to Aeroespacio, Issue 520: "hacia el 15 Abr se producía la recepción de los misiles Matra 550 Magic adquiridos tiempo antes" ("''towards April 15th the Matra 550 Magic missiles bought time ago were received''")]
*** Matra R530 short-range semi-active radar and IR: ''Mirage IIIEA''
** Air-to-surface missile, Air-to-Surface:
*** Exocet, Aérospatiale AM.39 Exocet Anti-ship missile, Anti-Ship Missile: 5 units on ''Super Etendards''
*** AS 30 air-surface missiles. Supplied by the
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force ( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea del Perú, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguardin ...
and arriving at the
Tandil
Tandil is the main city of the homonymous partido (department), located in Argentina, in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, just north-northwest of Tandilia hills. The city was founded in 1823 and its name originates from the ''Piedra Moved ...
AFB (home base of the FAA Dagger) at the end of May, the war ended before they could be used.
*Unguided retarded Gravity bomb: Thirteen bombs hit British ships without detonating as they were dropped from very low altitude and there was insufficient time in the air for them to arm themselves. The problem was solved by June with new fuzes (Kappa) bought in Spain .
** US built Mark 82 bomb, Mark 82 Snake Eye (500 lb / 227 kg) : ''A-4Q''
** British built "1000 lb" (450 kg) : ''A-4B/C'', ''IAI Daggers'' and ''Canberras''
** Spain built Expal BR/BRP 250 kg : ''A-4B/C'' and ''IAI Daggers''
** Argentine built PG 125 kg : ''Pucaras''
** Napalm : ''Pucaras''
["In late afternoon Pucaras attacked the British forces, two dropping napalm tanks which only just missed forward troops. Two Pucaras were shot down during the battle, along with an Aeromacchi ". - Chapter 21 The Bridgehead and Beyond, the battle for Darwin and Goose Green - Lawrence Freedman, ''Signals of War, The Falklands Conflict of 1982'', 1990, Faber and Faber-London, ]
Air campaign
*Battle of San Carlos (1982)
*Bluff Cove Air Attacks
Missions
*Attack Missions:
*Other Missions:
Successes
Casualties and aircraft losses
;Human losses:
![Alfredo Jorge Alberto Vázquez](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Alfredo_Jorge_Alberto_V%C3%A1zquez.jpg)
* 6 Argentine Army, Army aviation
* 4 Argentine Navy, Naval aviation
* 55
Argentine Air Force
"Argentine Wings"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War)
, equipment = 139 aircraft
, equipment_label =
, battles =
* Operation Independence
* Operation Soberanía
* Falkl ...
members
** 29 pilots
** 12 air crew (6 on C-130H shot down June 1, 4 on Learjet LJ-35A shot down June 7, and 2 Canberra navigators)
** 14 Ground crew
;Aircraft losses:
;Aircraft lost in the air in combat:
Argentine strike aircraft did not carry air-to-air missiles, with the exception of 8th Air Brigade Mirage IIIEA fighters and 6th Air Brigade Daggers on May 1. All retained a secondary armament of either 20 mm or 30 mm cannon.
Total destroyed in the air: 45 (Sea Harrier 21, Sea Dart 7, Sea Wolf 4, Stinger 2, Sea Cat 1, Rapier 1, Blowpipe 1, Combination/Gunfire 6, Friendly fire 2)
;Aircraft lost by other causes:
![Destroyed Argentine Pucara aircraft Pebble Island 1982](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Destroyed_Argentine_Pucara_aircraft_Pebble_Island_1982.jpg)
* Destroyed on the ground
** 9 FMA IA 58 Pucará
** 1 AgustaWestland AW109, Agusta A109 ''Army''
** 1 Boeing CH-47 Chinook, Boeing Ch-47C Chinook ''Army''
** 2 Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, Aérospatiale Puma SA330L ''Army''
** 4 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor ''Navy''
** 2 Short SC.7 Skyvan, Skyvan 3-M ''Coast Guard''
** 2 Bell UH-1 Iroquois, Bell UH-1H Iroquois ''Army''
![Falklands-AE-413-UH-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Falklands-AE-413-UH-1.jpg)
* Captured after the war
** 11 FMA IA 58 Pucará
** 2 AgustaWestland AW109, Agusta A109 ''Army''
** 7
Bell UH-1H Iroquois ''Army''
** 1 Boeing CH-47 Chinook, Boeing CH-47C Chinook ''Army''
** 1 Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, Aérospatiale Puma SA330L ''Coast Guard''
** 3
Aermacchi MB.339A ''Navy''
** 2
Bell 212
* Lost with ARA General Belgrano, ARA ''General Belgrano''
** 1 Aérospatiale Alouette III, Aérospatiale Alouette AI03 ''Navy''
* Flying accident in the war zone
** 1
[SN: 3-H-42] Westland Lynx, Westland Lynx HAS.Mk.23 ''Navy'' — 2 May, hit ARA ''Santísima Trinidad''
** 2 FMA IA 58 Pucará — 28 May, hit ground, recovered in 1986, 24 May.
[According to www.naval-history.net/F64argaircraftlost.htm a Pucará was lost over the Atlantic on a reconnaissance mission from Comodoro Rivadavia]
** 1
Aermacchi MB.339A ''Navy'' — 3 May, bad weather crash
** 2
[SN: C-303 and C-313] Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, McDonnell Douglas A-4C Skyhawk — 9 May, South Jason Island
Total lost by other causes: 55.
*Total aircraft losses
75 fixed-wing aircraft and 25 helicopters.
See also
*Argentine ground forces in the Falklands War
*Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War
*
British air services in the Falklands War
This is a list of the units, aircraft and casualties of the British air services in the Falklands War. The numbers in bold are the number of aircraft used in the war, the numbers in brackets are the number of lost aircraft. For a list of air fo ...
*Pablo Carballo
*Raid on Pebble Island
*Roberto Curilovic
Footnotes
References
Notes
Bibliography
* FAA Commodore Ruben Oscar Moro ''La Guerra Inaudita'', 2000
* ''Dagger & Finger en Argentina''
book link* Frédéric Marsaly: ''Super Étendard au Combat: la saga d'un guerrier'', Aviation Française Magazine, Jan/Feb 2007, ISSN 1951-9583.
Online sources
Further reading
Online material
Printed material
* Chant, C.: ''Air War in the Falklands 1982'', 2001, Osprey Publishing,
* Gunston, B.: ''Aviation Fact File (Modern Fighting Aircraft) - Harrier'', 1984, Salamander Books Ltd.,
*
*
*
*
* Shields, J.: ''Air Power in the Falklands Conflict - An Operational Level Insight into Air Warfare in the South Atlantic'', 2021, Pen & Sword, Great Britain,
External links
Foreign Studies
- Analysis and Conclusions
Argentina's Tactical Aircraft Employment in the Falklands Islands War - Air Command and Staff College, Air University, USAF
Official Sites
*
about the Malvinas/Falklands Air War
*
Argentine Coast Guard (PNA) official siteabout the Malvinas/Falklands War
Other sites
YouTube videoArgentine Air Force on the Falklands War
*
"Historia de la Aviación Naval Argentina Tomo III (Conflicto del Atlántico Sur)"Full book content at "Radar Malvinas" website (''accessed 2016-07-14'')
{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentine Air Forces In The Falklands War
Military units and formations of Argentina in the Falklands War
Argentine Air Force
Argentine Naval Aviation
Argentine Army
Falklands War orders of battle
Aerial operations and battles of the Falklands War
Falklands War,
1982 in the Falkland Islands
20th-century military history of the United Kingdom