Argentine Air Force
[citation needed] By 1938–39, Argentina's air power consisted of roughly 3,200 personnel (including about 200 officers) and maintained approximately 230 aircraft.In his first term, President Juan Perón brought teams of European engineers to the FMA, then known as the Instituto Aerotécnico ('Aerotechnical Institute'), or I.Ae., to promote aircraft technological development.The count totaled to around 750 workers, including two teams of German designers (led by Kurt Tank) and the French engineer Émile Dewoitine.These aircraft were paid for by the United States to partially pay back its debt to Argentina, which had provided them with raw materials during World War II.[4] The Air Force, with former Luftwaffe officers as consultants[citation needed] and with the European teams that Perón had brought, also began to develop its own aircraft, including the I.Ae.35 Huanquero transport, the I. Ae 22 DL advanced trainer, and the I.Ae 24 Calquín twin-engine attack-bomber; as well as rockets, and planes for civilian use (like the FMA 20 El Boyero).[8][9] In the following September coup, the Air Force supported Perón's government by initiating combat operations and transporting troops and arms[10] with a meager five aircraft defecting to the other side.[11] After the Revolución Libertadora succeeded and the coup took place, previously mentioned manufacturing operations ceased and most foreign workers left the country,[citation needed] including engineer Kurt Tank who went to work in India.Previously, President Juan Perón had created the Antarctic Task Forces (FATA, Fuerzas de Tareas Antárticas) to fulfill this purpose.This resulted in the first trans-Antarctic three-continent flight in history when a Hercules C-130 flew between Río Gallegos; Marambio Base; Christchurch, New Zealand and Canberra, Australia.During the 1970s, the Air Force re-equipped itself with Mirage III interceptors, IAI Dagger multi-role fighters, and C-130 Hercules cargo planes.[24] The Argentine Air Force reacted by sending multiple IAI Dagger, A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft, and Mirage III interceptors into the fray.The Argentine Air Force suffered 55 dead and 47 wounded, with 505 combat departures and 62 aircraft losses, as listed below:[25] After the war, the UK imposed an arms embargo on Argentina.[27] The Argentine Air Force has been involved in United Nations peacekeeping missions, sending a contingent to Cyprus in 1994[28][29] and deploying Bell 212 helicopters to Haiti during 2005.[30] As of 2010[update], budgetary constraints continued, leading to the disbanding of the Boeing 707 transport squadron and maintenance problems for half of the C-130 Hercules fleet.Britain similarly blocked the potential sale of Brazilian license-built Saab Gripen aircraft to Argentina, given that some avionics were of British origin.Referring to the strategic and political situation in South America he further commented that: “There are no war problems, peace is the common denominator between us.”[55] It was simultaneously confirmed that the fighter aircraft replacement program had been stopped.[56] In early 2023, Argentina confirmed the purchase of six Bell 407 for the Armed Forces and plans for the modernization of its inventory of Hughes 500Ds pending the arrival of new Beechcraft TC-12B Hurons.[59] On 11 October 2023, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security Mira Resnick confirmed to Jorge Argüello, Argentinean ambassador to the US, that the State Department has approved the transfer of 38 F-16s from Denmark.[61] On March 26, 2024, the Danish Defence Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, signed a letter of intent with his Argentine counterpart to transfer the aircraft.
ArgentinaAir forceAerial warfareArgentine Armed ForcesSpanishOperation IndependenceOperation SoberaníaFalklands WarGulf WarBosniaCyprusKosovoPresidentJavier MileiChief of General StaffRoundelFin flashAttackFighterHelicopterBell 412Bell 212Hughes 500DMil Mi-171PatrolTucanoReconnaissancePucaráTrainerT-6 Texan IIGrob 120TPTransportC-12 HuronArmed Forces of the Argentine RepublicWorld War IFábrica Militar de AvionesCórdobaDewoitine D.21Curtiss P-36 HawkBreguet 19Northrop A-17Martin B-10North American NA-16Focke-Wulf Fw 58Junkers Ju 52Fairchild 82sSupermarine SouthamptonSupermarine WalrusFairey SealFairey IIIVought O2U CorsairConsolidated P2YCurtiss T-32 Condor IIDouglas DolphinGrumman J2F DuckSecretary of AeronauticsWorld War IImodernizationJuan PerónKurt TankÉmile DewoitineGloster MeteorAvro LincolnAvro LancasterLuftwaffeI.Ae. 27 Pulqui II.Ae. 33 Pulqui III.Ae. 23I.Ae. 30 ÑancúI.Ae. 25 MañqueI.Ae. 35 HuanqueroI. Ae 22 DLI.Ae 24 CalquínFMA 20 El Boyerobombing of the Plaza de MayoBuenos AiresHouse of GovernmentAntarctic scientific basesDouglas C-47sC-130 HerculesFokker F-28 FellowshipDHC-6 Twin OttersRío GallegosMarambio BaseChristchurchNew ZealandCanberraAustraliaF-86F SabreDouglas A-4 SkyhawkMirage IIIIAI Daggercounter-insurgencymilitary dictatorship that lasted until 1983Royal Air ForceOperation Black BuckAvro Vulcan bomber XM607Sea HarriersBattle of San Carlosoperation in Bluff CoveHMS PlymouthMar del Plata AirportA-4AR Fighting hawksA-4 SkyhawksFMA IA-63 PampaFMA SAIA 90Condor missileUnited NationspeacekeepingbrigadiersNéstor KirchnerEzeiza International AirportAirport Security PoliceBoeing 707Mi-17EhelicoptersAntarctic basesGripenChengdu J-10RussiaJane'sVilla ReynoldsBarack ObamaAir Force OneKAI FA-50Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk