santiagorivasHi, the fleet of Hercules with the Argentine Air Force is as follows:
One C-130B (another one was recently delivered to the Air Force Museum)
One C-130E (taken to C-130H)
Four C-130H
Two KC-130H
One L-100-30
In the last years, not more than 2 or 3 are in service at the same time.
Best regards
Santiago
santiagorivaspolitical exaggerations.
A statement pessimistic but not far from the reality of our country. Anyway I think that “something” can be purchased in a couple of years.But will not be modern, new, Chinese or Russian.
I don’t really think the Kirchner administration will buy any combat aircracft. Aolso regarding the Pampas, the defense ministry only contracted the construction of 18 airframes, but not the purchase of their systems (engine, landing gear, avionics, etc). This was only a decision to keep the factory working. Now they announced the total will be of 40, but there’s no contract signed yet with FAdeA and most inside the air force, including many brigadiers, don’t believe they will really buy them.
In case they build 40 airplanes, the idea of the Air Force is to use some for an aerobatic team, maybe others could go to the Navy and the rest it’s very probably they will finish at the Grupo 6 de Caza, at least to keep pilots flying until something is bought (surely, after 2015 at least). The idea to use Pampas to replace the Mirages is not new. Initially the idea was to send some A-4AR, but not there are not enough in service and not enough spares.
santiagorivasTo be realistic, according to what the actual Argentine government is spending on military, we should be discussing if the Nieuport Bleriot XI is better than the Caudron G.IV. Maybe it could be possible to adapt AIM-9L and LGB to them.
The true is that by now the Argentine Air Force is analyzing some options, but they don’t have budget. For the budget sent to the congress for 2012, there are no plans to buy any combat aircraft, they only talk about buying spares for the A-4ARs. I don’t think something is going to happen on this topic until 2016, when possibly and hopefully, a new government can arrive.
Nobody knows what is going to happen with the Grupo 6 de Caza, as their Mirages are ending their career, with only a handfull of them flying, and no replacement is expected in the short term.
Best regards
Santiago
santiagorivasI talked with Mel Williams some days ago and he told me tha he was trying to resume the release of the magazine after having personal problems for more than two years. His plans are to release Volume 28 ASAP.
Best regards
Santiago
santiagorivasHi all, regarding guided weapons, despite the A-4AR can carry them, there are no US built ones in the Air Force inventory. The only one is the Dardo 2, which is a GPS guided gliding bomb and the project include the use of a booster for greater range. The bomb was tested on the A-4AR, Mirages and Super Etendards and now is into production. Projects for a LGB were developed locally and the technology was developed, but no bombs were built. Mavericks and Paveways were intended in the original purchase, but were not delivered. Only some AIM-9L and AIM-9M.
Regarding the Hornet and Super Hornet, there were some roumors in Argentine forums about offers, but the information was denied by my contacts in the Defense Ministry and the Air Force. The Air Force received only offers for F-16s which were not accepted due to political decisions by the government. There’s interest in the Hornet, but if the government don’t want to spend on F-16s I don’t think they will buy the Hornet.
By now, the Navy is only looking to modernize their Super Etendards and the aircraft carrier is only an idea and a dream of some Navy officers, but no serious project is in development. There are other needs by now, like minelayers, minesweepers, assault ships, patrol vessels, etc.
Anyway, don’t expect big changes in the status quo (at least not for better) if the actual government continues until 2015 (we are in an election’s year but they have most of the chances to win).
santiagorivasHi, the issue is almost ready, but the editor is still having personal problems that are delaying the release.
Best regards
Santiago
santiagorivasNo such thing as a Bell 112, I presume they meant Bell 412.
Interesting it might also suggest that Panha Shabaviz 2-75 production isn’t going that well.
Hi, they are nine former IDF/AF Bell 212.
santiagorivasSome photos of Indonesian A-4E and TA-4H. All of them already grounded and being replaced by Flankers. Besides OV-10, those A-4 were the main asset for Indonesian Air Force Counter Insurgencies operations in Aceh and East Timor in the 80’s and 90’s.
Thanks, do you know where I can find more about those operations? like weapons used, dates, losses, etc.
santiagorivasThanks for the replies, that’a a good start. I have the Vol 5 of Wings of Fame, which has a brief history, but now I’m looking for more details, like big exercises, operations, deployments, accidents, etc.
santiagorivasSome good news, I was informed that Volume 27 is being printed and that will be released soon. I hope this time they don’t have more delays. Volume 28 is being prepared with the intention of releasing it in short.
santiagorivas…and the normal Pucara….
Hi, note that the last photo is of the IA-66, which is a Pucará with Garrett engines, of which one prototype was tested in the eighties. Originally, the first prototype was equipped with Garrett engines, before the Astazou was installed.
Best regards
Santiago
santiagorivasPiper:
Argentina – Chincul PA-25 Pawnee (licence build Piper Pawnee)
I couldn’t find much about this aircraft. Is it still witin the Air Force, what is it purpose, how many Pawnees within the Argentina Air Force?
The picture is from 2009 so it might be still around there.
Hi, the Argentine Air Force received two specially built Chincul Pawnee two seaters for the Instituto Nacional de Aviacion Civil and they are still in service for use on crop dusting training.
Best regards
Santiago
santiagorivasI talked yesterday with Mel and he told me he is planning to release Volume 27 in May. He is having a lot of trouble but he told me his intention is to keep doing the magazine.
santiagorivasWith all due respect santiagorivas, it would appear to me that you are on the back foot in this discussion. This aside, I don’t believe that by questioning people’s intelligence, patronising and generally trying to them feel inferior is a way to win you any respect on this forum. If you are unable to partake without resorting to being disrespectful, you are on the wrong forum.
Regards,
Spock
No, I (and millions of people who doesn’t agree to the British point of view) was insulted by his lies (as saying that Argentina never owned the islands and many more), ignorance (as for example, that was an unconditional surrender and many other things that I simply don0t have time to enumerate) and lack of respect to the others’ opinion (saying that I shall call the islands as Falklands, you must respect that this name is not accepted by the whole world. as I respect the name Falklands, you must respect that millions of people call them Malvinas). That’s why I stop participating on this thread.
I will not discuss with extremists, it’s not worth and it’s a waste of time.
At last, Argentina always respected the interests of the silanders. If they want to still be British, they can be, but as the UN recognizes (and this means the whole world community) they were there after the British occupied the islands by force, and that’s why the world recognize the right of Argentina to claim that they are not aborigins of the islands and that the only rights they have over the soil of the islands is the rights over their private properties. So, they have the right to chose their nationality, but they have to recognize they are on a land of which the sovereignty is in dispute.
At last, England recognized three times the Argentine sovereingty over the islands: First, when they recognize the Argentine independence over the territories of the Virreynato del Río de la Plata, including the islands, in 1823by then occupied by Argentina. Later, in 1825, when the Friendship agreement was signed by both countries, again England recognized the independence of Argentina and its sovereingty over all of its territory (the islands were still in the hands of Argentina. At last, in 1840, when Louis Vernet claimed the property of territories on the islands, purchased to the Argentine government, England recognized the power of Argentina to sell the territories, as England paid for them to Vernet, recognizing he was the owner, because he buy them to Argentina.
It’s sad, I found the same kind of extremism in some people in Argentina but I didn’t think that England was also full of extremists that only accept their way of thinking.
We live in a globalized world and you have to hear the other people. Not everyone see the world as you see it and not everyone share your points of view. I thought that the British, being an older and grown up country, had overcome this, but I see some people don’t.
I have a lot of friends in England, and because of my researches, many of them being veterans of the 1982 war, and fortunately, with them I have more mature conversations about the islands.
Unfortunately, this thread changed from a thread about the today’s situation aroudn the islands, to a British manifesto of his position over the islands and to a place to insult the other party’s position. Very infantile…
santiagorivas“This is simply an extremist, nationalist and arrogant position and I will take it like that, end of the discussion.”
No it isn’t. It’s simple, cogent fact.
You just don’t have an argument against it.
The Falklands lie 300 miles off the coast of South America (further from South America than Madagascar is from Africa, further than Sri Lanka is from India, further than Cuba is from Florida). They really are not that close.
The islands have NEVER been administered as part of the Argentine state. They have never been settled by people who identify themselves as Argentine.
They have no aboriginal population claiming links with or protection from Argentina.
They do have an overwhelmingly ethnically British population who regard themselves as British, and who utterly reject Argentine claims, and who refuse to discuss such claims, and who have been British for more than 170 years (the longest period in the islands’ inhabited history).
And this is all about the fundamental rights of the population of the islands, which override Argentinian colonialism and greed.
If anyone is being arrogant, it’s you. If you believe that Argentina has a legitimate claim to the Falklands that takes precedence over the wishes of the overwhelming wishes of the population, then perhaps you can calmly and rationally explain what it is?
What legitimate claim does Argentina have to the Falkland Islands, that could possibly overturn the democratic wishes of the Falkland Islanders themselves?
Having tried to take the islands by force, and having suffered a humiliating military defeat that resulted in an UNCONDITIONAL surrender, isn’t now the time for Argentina to recognise geopolitical realities and move on?
And if the Falklands question threatens relations between Europe and South America, as you suggest, would not the best thing be for Argentina to do the decent thing, and to recognise the fundamental human rights of the Falkland Islanders to self determination?
This isn’t some kind of ‘last gasp of the British Empire’. This isn’t about national self interest. Britain has spilled the blood of its own servicemen to uphold a fundamental principal – that of the Falkland Islanders’ right of self determination. Had Argentina not resorted to aggressive military action, the UK would have been happy to co-operate in the exploitation of natural resources, but you’ll understand that the Brits are less willing to co-operate with bullies and desperados.
It’s not that I don’t have an argument. it’s because of you lack of knowledge about history and because this thread is not about who has more rights about the islands, that I will not keep discussing with you, because it’s a waste of time. And this is my last opinion, so don’t waste your time replying.
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