Obviously F-18 Hamburg…. I mean Y-20 Bacons topic is hypothetical, and based around a 2 to 2,5% of GDP defence spend.
With this is mind, and concentrating on aviation solely, and considering that it is actually not chump change like the small change the current armed forces have to survive on, I would do the following:
Like it or not, The Falklands is an issue.
With this in mind, some Su-27xx/Su-30xx or hatever derivitives. One of Argentinas primary problems in 1982 was that it’s planes were operating at the extreme end of their range, allowing very little leeway for anything really when over the combat zone.
The Su-30 is ideal for this, with massive internal fuel capacity. I would ensure a retractable refuelling probe came with the deal.
24 – 28 aircraft, or 2 squadrons worth.
Leaving aside the Falklands, Argentina is geographically a very big country. Add France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the entire UK together. Then add 3 more Germanies, and that is roughly the size of Argentina.
So range would be useful in other contexts.
Next, I would add something different. I would look to buy the J-31. If after testing it shows a substantial reduction in RCS frontally (Chinese espionage surely delivered shortcuts to their domestic teams already clearly working on this), I would ensure datalinking and AAM compatability with the Su-30’s. They have to come with inflight refuelling probes.
4 Squadrons of these please, or 48 to 60 aircraft.
It has been strongly suggested that the J-31 has been designed with consideration of a carrier borne variant in mind. Thus, this purchase could bear fruit later.
Off to Brazil next, where I would purchase the Embraer KC-390 in Transport, ECM/Jamming, Tanker, AEW, and MPA.
If not the KC-390, then something like the An-70, which seems to be pegged at less than half the price of the A-400M.
Order more Pampa trainer jets.
Pick a medium/large chopper, and order sufficient quantities. Eurocopter could be looked at. The small chopper is covered already.
Expensive, but doable in a phased approach over a few years. You will have quite a capable force geared toward the single most likely touch-off point, The Falklands/Malvinas, but also quite capable on other Argentine requirements.
The driving force must be compatability in the way these units communicate with each other. An absolute essential, even if it takes an indigineous data-link system between them all.
Over long range, you’d want the AEW, Su-30s, and J-31s putting each other in the picture, or handing info off to each other at appropriate times.
Why so little Western European/US sharp point combat equipment?
I would think it rather obvious, seeing how some of those suppliers compromised the Argentine force, whether they were right or wrong, before.
And they are, after all, within an economic and loose political union.
It is also not 1945-1991 anymore.
The world keeps revolving, and moves on, with different players in the game now.
All hypothetical, and IMHO of course.
Political realities would likely prove very different.
your ideas is quite clever and interesting.
Flanker seems very logical choice.
however the flanker and j-31 combination is interesting and I ask why those two?
why not say flanker and pak-fa? (same supplier) or flanker and j-20.
j-31 looks nice and tasty but big question is range.
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