Argentine air forces in the Falklands War

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Historical photo of the FAA A-4C Skyhawk of the IV Air Brigade refueling in flight from a KC-130H Hercules on May 9, 1982. Pilot Lt. Jorge Casco would not return from this mission
Historical photo of the FAA A-4C Skyhawk of the IV Air Brigade refueling in flight from a KC-130H Hercules on May 9, 1982. Pilot Lt. Jorge Casco would not return from this mission

This is a list of the units, aircraft and casualties of the Argentine air forces in the Falklands War (Spanish:Guerra de las Malvinas). For a list of air forces from United Kingdom, see British air forces in the Falklands War.

Contents

[edit] Background

The Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) had never considered the possibility of waging a long-range naval air campaign against a major NATO power. It was not trained nor equipped for such accomplishment. They had only two tanker aircraft to serve the whole air force and navy and both the Mirage IIIs and IAI Daggers were not equipped for aerial refueling. Training, tactics and equipment were focused on a more conventional war against Chile due the Beagle conflict. [1] [2]

The Chilean threat was cause of great concern during the war. The Chilean Armed Forces made a large deployment to the common border and the FAA was even forced to reinstate their retired F-86 Sabres. On the other hand, the Peruvian Air Force inmediately listed their assets in support of the Argentine cause and even offered to fly combat missions, something gently declined by the Argentine government. As the war advanced, both Peru and Venezuela sent critical aircraft spare parts urgently needed by the FAA. The A-4 Skyhawk fleet was in a very poor situation. The arms embargo placed by the United States in 1976 due the Dirty war made most airframes unusable, an Israeli connection was always suspected in helping the A-4 to return to flight status but was never confirmed. [3]

The small air arm of the Argentine Navy was in the middle of the transition from their old A-4 Skyhawks to the new Super Etendards. Only five Exocet missiles had been delivered at the time of the conflict.

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 on the British forces. Low flying jets attacking British ships would provide the world with some of the most sobering images of the war.

In the end, the British won due to superior training, tactics, and motivation of the footsoldier on the ground. Full marks go to the Argentine air forces for their spirited conduct during the hostilities but as always, air power alone cannot win a war.

Sandy Woodward British Task Force commander:

“ The Argentine Air Force fought extremely well and we felt a great admiration for what they did.[4] ”

[edit] Organisation

The Air units involved in the Falklands War were under the following chain of command:

  • Military Junta - Brigadier General (Lieutenant General) Basilio Lami Dozo
    • Air Defence Command (Spanish: Comando Aereo 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 (Spanish: Comando Aereo Estrategico ) - 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 (Spanish: Fuerza Aerea Sur ) - Brigadier Ernesto Crespo. The FAS was the main organisation involved in combat over the conflict zone.
    • South Atlantic Military Theatre (Spanish: 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 managed the crisis.
      • Falklands Military Garrison (Spanish: Guarnicion Militar Malvinas ) - Brigade General Mario Menendez (Army)
        • Air Component (Spanish: Componente Aereo ) - Brigadier Luis Castellano.

[edit] Deployment

Argentine air bases were 400 milles from their targets
Argentine air bases were 400 milles from their targets
Mirage IIIEA, their lack of aerial refuel capability, prevented them from being used effectively over the islands in the air-air role.
Mirage IIIEA, their lack of aerial refuel capability, prevented them from being used effectively over the islands in the air-air role.
FMA IA 58 Pucará
FMA IA 58 Pucará
Super Etendard the Exocet platform
Super Etendard the Exocet platform

Air units moved from home bases to southern facilities. Also feared 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.

[edit] 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 lost aircraft.

Escuadrón Fénix Coat of Arms
Escuadrón Fénix Coat of Arms

[edit] Argentine Air Force

Fuerza Aérea Argentina

[edit] Argentine Navy

Comando de Aviación Naval Argentina

[edit] Argentine Army

Comando de Aviación del Ejército Argentino

[edit] Argentine Coast Guard

Prefectura Naval Argentina

[edit] Argentine traffic planes

Gates Learjet, Cessna Citation, Hawker Siddeley HS-125, Commander 690 and Mitsubishi MU-2.
Boeing 737 [5] and Douglas DC-9 (airlift to Patagonia and Port Stanley).

[edit] Armament

[edit] Casualties and aircraft losses

  • Aircraft Lost in the Air: no suffix: Air Force
11 IAI Dagger A 9 by Sea Harrier, 1 Sea Wolf HMS Broadsword, 1 SAM Rapier
10 A-4B Skyhawk 3 by Sea Harrier, 3 Sea Wolf HMS Brilliant, 1 Sea Dart, 1 AAA HMS Fearless, 1 unknown and 1 friendly fire
7 A-4C Skyhawk 2 by Sea Harrier, 3 Sea Dart, 2 combination Sea Cat/Rapier/Blowpipe
3 FMA IA 58 Pucará 1 by Sea Harrier, 1 SAM Stinger, 1 gun fire 2 PARA
3 A-4Q Skyhawk Navy 3 by Sea Harrier
2 Mirage IIIEA 1 by Sea Harrier, 1 friendly fire
2 B.Mk62 Canberra 1 by Sea Harrier, 1 Sea Dart
1 C-130E Hercules 1 by Sea Harrier
1 Aermacchi MB.339A Navy 1 by Blowpipe
1 Learjet 35A 1 by SAM Sea Dart
3 Puma SA330L Army 1 by SAM Sea Dart, 2 gun fire
1 Puma SA330L Army Royal Marines gun fire in Georgias, April 3

[edit] References

  • (French) Frédéric Marsaly: Super Étendart au Combat: la saga d'un guerrier, Aviation Française Magazine, Jan/Feb 2007, ISSN 1951-9583.
  1. ^ Argentine Airpower in the Falklands War
  2. ^ Offensive Air Operations Of The Falklands War - USMC
  3. ^ Commodore Ruben Oscar Moro La Guerra Inaudita, 2000 ISBN 987-96007-3-8
  4. ^ clarin newspaperClarin newspaper Woodward Interview
    La fuerza aérea peleó extremadamente bien y nosotros sentimos una gran admiración por lo que hicieron
  5. ^ http://www.malvinasmdp.org.ar/Images/Fotos/M085.jpg
  6. ^ Chapter 21 The Bridgehead and Beyond, the battle for Darwin and Goose Green:"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 [sic]. - Lawrence Freedman, Signals of War, The Falklands Conflict of 1982, 1990, Faber and Faber-London, ISBN 0-571-14116-1
  7. ^ http://www.fuerzaaerea.mil.ar/conflicto/caidos.html

[edit] External links


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Military forces | Argentine ground forces | British ground forces | Argentine air forces | British air forces | Argentine naval forces | British naval forces
Timeline | Background | Invasion | Falklands War
Battles | Goose Green | Mount Harriet | Two Sisters | Mount Longdon | Mount Tumbledown | Wireless Ridge
Operations | Algeciras | Canbelow | Corporate | Black Buck | Keyhole | Paraquat | Purple Warrior | Azul (also Rosario) | Sutton
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