Friday, May 29, 2026

AAF: Morón AFB 2002 Pictorial

Argentine Air Force

BAM Morón in 2002

SAORBATS

VII Air Brigade - Moron, Buenos Aires - August 2002

All photos by Christian Villada unless otherwise stated

The Cessna 182 registration PG-344 was last seen in service in May 1997. It is currently on display in the INAC park

Cessna 182 registration PG-355 with Central Air Region (RACE) markings, without an engine, in a hangar at VII Air Brigade

This Cessna A150L PG-395 had civil registration LV-DNA. It is now retired and on display at the entrance to INAC

Piper PA-28-236 (or PA-28D Dakota) registration PG-441 on display at the entrance to INAC. Of the 10 aircraft received by INAC for instrument training, at least 3 were retired.

AR-25-235 registration PG-434 of INAC. It is a variant of the Piper PA-25 Pawnee manufactured in Argentina by Chincul. Two examples are used at INAC as crop-spraying trainers

Piper PA-34S Seneca III registration PG-312. INAC uses 3 examples for multi-engine training.

The PA-31 Navajo VR-22 is equipped for radio-aid calibration missions, although it is apparently used as a transport at INAC

The Gates Learjet 35A is equipped for radio-aid calibration missions. It is operated by Air Group 2

C-130H registration TC-65 of Transport Group 1 (G1T), based at El Palomar, Buenos Aires province

IA-58A Pucara A-512 of Attack Group 3 (G3A)

A-4AR C-912 of Fighter Group 5 (G5C)

B45 Mentor showing its weapons display. The two grey bombs are Sitea INC-50Kg incendiary bombs, which can be filled with kerosene, petrol or JP-1

Part of the B45 armament of the School Air Group (GAE) of the Military Aviation School. On the left is the MA-2A "Experimental" rocket pod for 70 mm FFAR rockets. Slightly further back is an ARM-657-A Mamboreta for 6 57 mm Aspid rockets. In the background is a 7.62 mm Browning M1919A1 machine gun and, a little further forward, an L-10 bomb rack capable of carrying 100Kg with a 50Kg general-purpose bomb

Embraer EMB-312 Tucano registration E-130 of the GAE. At the front right is a Mamboreta rocket pod, behind it a SITEA INC-100Kg incendiary bomb and beside the wheel a Browning M1919A1. Hanging from the underwing pylon is a 125Kg general-purpose bomb.

At the front right is an Aero 4B practice bomb launcher capable of carrying 8 3-pound bombs. These bomb racks are also used by the Pucara and the Mentor

Weapons display of the IA-63 Pampa EX-01 of the Flight Test Centre (CEV). On the left is a LAU-61/A rocket launcher for 19 70 mm FFAR rockets, then 50, 125 and 250 Kg general-purpose (GP) bombs. At the front is an A/A37B-3 (PMBR) practice bomb dispenser with 3 25-pound Mk. 76 bombs and further to the right a Mamboreta rocket pod. On the outer underwing station is a 50 Kg GP bomb and on the inner station 2 125Kg GP bombs hanging from a TER rack. Note the 30 mm Aero Cuar FAS 460 cannon under the fuselage

250Kg FAS-800A fragmentation bomb. It uses a FAS-1020 proximity fuze that detonates by proximity, scattering 38,000 9 mm-diameter anti-personnel balls. For low-altitude release, a CFP retardation tail can be fitted

Another view of the FAS 800A. There is another 125Kg version called the FAS-800B

Parachute-retarded FAS-250 bomb. It can be released at high speed from a minimum altitude of 30 metres

3 FAS-250s hanging from a TER rack

250Kg FAS-300 cluster bomb. Note the small rockets arranged laterally, which impart the necessary rotation to the bomb for optimum dispersion of its submunitions

The FAS-300 has 2 versions: the FAS-300A is capable of releasing 220 bomblets with impact fuzes, while the FAS-300B has 88 bomblets with delay fuzes of up to 52 hours. It is capable of releasing its submunitions over an area of up to 58,500 square metres

FAS-850 Dardos I stand-off bomb. It can be released at 50,000 feet and propelled by a rocket that gives it a range of 15 Km, with a theoretical load of 91 AP or AT bomblets. However, the Dardos I is apparently only the first step towards the Dardos II, which would be a square-shaped winged bomb with GPS guidance

The FAS-260 is a parachute-retarded and rocket-accelerated anti-runway bomb, similar in concept to the French BAP-100. It weighs 37 Kg and penetrates 30 cm before exploding. Its minimum release altitude is 80 metres

The FAS-280 is a 34 Kg fragmentation bomb used in conjunction with the FAS-260 to destroy aircraft, personnel and unarmoured or lightly armoured vehicles. On exploding, its outer steel structure fragments into 1,500 pieces, to which are added 4,800 steel balls of 8 and 9 mm capable of piercing armour between 7 and 20 mm thick

Bertolina Hnos. LI-9B bomb rack. Up to 9 FAS-280 or FAS-260 bombs can be fitted to it and fired by an intervalometer. The LI-9B is fitted to an underwing station; there is also the LI-18B, which is fitted to a ventral station and is capable of carrying 18 of the aforementioned bombs

The Albatros BSH 02 of the National Aeronautics Museum (MNA) looked truly gleaming

Another aircraft destined for the MNA is this Fokker F-27 Mk.600 registration T-42, which is waiting without engines in a hangar at VII Air Brigade to be restored

This Sikorsky S-62 registration H-02 is the MNA's latest acquisition. It was used as presidential transport

The H-02 was withdrawn from service after certain structural modifications made to adapt it better to its VIP transport role proved unsuccessful. The helicopter suffered from excessive vibrations in flight, so it was decided to retire it

Bell 212 registration H-87 of Squadron I of Air Group 7 (GA7). This aircraft was originally a UH-1N that served with the Israeli IDF. It was purchased by the FAA, which modified it to Bell 212 standard

Hughes 500D registration H-41 in Avispa configuration of GA7

Bell UH-1H registration H-11 of Squadron III of GA 7

One of the visitors was this Robinson R44 registration GN-923 of the Gendarmerie. Note the FLIR in the nose for road surveillance

Pilatus PC-12N GN-810 of the National Gendarmerie. It serves as an air ambulance and VIP transport

CASA C-212M-300 registration PA-71 of the Argentine Naval Prefecture

Weapons of the Command Support Squadron (EAC), the FAA special unit. From top to bottom and left to right can be seen: a 5.56 mm G-41 rifle with 40 mm HK-79 grenade launcher, a 12-gauge Remington 870 shotgun, a 9 mm MP-5 SD6 submachine gun with night sight, a G-33 assault rifle and a 40 mm HK-69 grenade launcher

More EAC weapons. At the top are 2 MP-5 A1s with fixed and retractable stocks, and in the middle an MP5-K. Below, from left to right, a 9 mm Browning pistol, a Walter PPK with silencer and an 11.25 mm P9S

The FAMAE S.A.F is in service with the FAA, although it is not clear which unit uses them. In the photo, 2 versions of the SAF beside a Browning HI-POWER pistol