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


On the left is the seeker head of a Rafael Shafrir Mk.IV missile, on the right that of a Matra R.550 Magic
    


An ELTA EL/M-2001B radar of the type fitted to the IAI Finger IIIA and B of Fighter Group 6 (G6C)
    


Westinghouse AN/TPS-43 surveillance radar of Surveillance and Airspace Control Group 1 (VYCEA)


Ford ambulance of VII Air Brigade
    


Omega P&H crane of the El Palomar Logistics Area. Capable of lifting up to 20 tonnes
    

Igarreta drilling rig on a Scania L11 truck chassis of the El Palomar Logistics Area


Caterpillar 14G motor grader of the El Palomar Logistics Area. It is used for the construction of runways, aprons and taxiways

Malvinas: Marine Anger at the Sad End

The Glorious Marine Infantry Battalion No. 5, which fought in the Malvinas even after everyone else had already observed the ceasefire.

BIM 5 was respected by the enemy and was allowed to return armed to Puerto Argentino, entering it in a triumphant parade. It did not surrender; rather, a ceasefire was agreed between Commander Jeremy Moore and General Benjamín Menéndez.

At the end, troops from BIM 5 remained at the mooring station to hand over their weapons — the most difficult moment. Their faces say it all.

The MAG gunner in the centre of the photograph, biting back his anger.

Malvinas: Argentine Naval Prefecture Shot Down a Harrier

1982, The Malvinas War
22 May, Choiseul Sound
Argentine Naval Prefecture Vs Royal Navy
Z-28 Patrol Boat Vs Sea Harrier Fighter

David Vs Goliath

On 22 May 1982, at 08:25, the GC-83, a small Z-28 patrol launch of the Argentine Naval Prefecture, the PNA Río Iguazú, commanded by Deputy Prefect Eduardo Adolfo Olmedo with 14 men under his orders, was sailing through Choiseul Sound and was about to reach Darwin. She was carrying two 105/14 mm Otto Melara Mk-56 howitzers and 15 Argentine Army artillerymen as artillery reinforcement for Lieutenant Chanampa, when she was intercepted and attacked by two Sea Harrier aircraft. The Argentine vessel was destroyed — but not before knocking one Sea Harrier out of action and damaging another.

When Argentina recovered the Malvinas Islands on 2 April 1982, that very same day, after expelling the English usurping authorities, it began the immediate military withdrawal back to the mainland. Argentina decided to deploy only a limited unit for policing duties until the United Nations resolved the dispute. Thus, two patrol launches from the Argentine Naval Prefecture were sent to the islands for coastguard, policing and SAR duties, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 502, while Great Britain was violating that same resolution by sending a massive naval invasion force from 5 April onwards.

The GC-83 Río Iguazú was assigned to the mission together with the GC-82 Islas Malvinas. The two small security vessels of the Argentine Naval Prefecture were placed under the Malvinas Naval Command and were tasked with everything from reconnaissance to logistical supply for the different garrisons scattered across the islands, patrol work, radar sweeps, pilotage for ships entering Puerto Argentino so they could be guided clear of mined areas, communications interception, and search-and-rescue missions.

While carrying out one of those missions — supplying a garrison — on 22 May, the vessel undertook what, unbeknown to her crew, would be her final run. The coastguard launch left Puerto Argentino. Her task was to transport 15 men from Battery A of the Argentine Army’s 4th Airborne Artillery Group, along with the two Otto Melara howitzers already mentioned. Since those pieces could be dismantled for mountain use, they were taken apart and stowed below deck on the small vessel, so as not to endanger her stability. She was bound for Goose Green, where it was already expected that the enemy would make its move before attempting to assault Puerto Argentino, the main objective.

At 08:25, over Choiseul Bay on Gran Malvinas Island (East Falkland), the patrol launch was intercepted by two Sea Harrier FRS.1 fighter-bombers of the Royal Navy. The crew of the Río Iguazú mistook them for RAF Harrier GR.3s. They were caught off guard. The Sea Harriers came in low, proper low, and opened fire with their 30 mm ADEN cannon, mortally damaging the vessel, killing Corporal Benítez and seriously wounding Assistant Baccaro and Corporal Bengoechea, all gunners on the ship’s M2HB .50 calibre machine gun, with which they had been returning enemy fire.

The British rounds also struck the rudder, destroyed the electrical panel, and opened a breach in the hull, which led to flooding in the engine room. With the electrical panel out of action, the bilge pumps could no longer be used effectively, and the ship was done for. Deputy Prefect Olmedo therefore made the decision to beach the Río Iguazú on the coast, so that, once stabilised, the crew could better concentrate the fire of their weapons and, at the same time, protect the men ashore until they could be rescued.

Even so, while that was being attempted, Second Corporal Julio Omar Benítez, who was operating one of the machine guns, had already been killed by a shot to the chest, leaving that weapon out of action. The other machine gun, manned by Third Assistant Juan José Baccaro, was also put out of service, while Baccaro and Second Corporal Carlos Bengoechea were both seriously wounded, along with Principal Officer Gabino González.

Olmedo presented the stern of the GC-83, where the two machine-gun mounts were located, to face the second attacking pass of the Sea Harriers now bearing down on them. But with all the vessel’s gunners either dead or wounded, it was Second Corporal José Raúl Ibáñez, an engine-room man, who at that moment was trying to bail out a breach that had already become unstoppable. Water was coming in with such pressure that the jet was smashing against the engine-room ceiling. When he came up on deck to report the situation, he was met with the grim sight of Baccaro and Bengoechea dragging themselves across the deck, and Benítez dead at the foot of the machine gun.

Although Ibáñez had no specific training as a machine-gunner, he did know how to use the weapon. He saw that the Sea Harriers were already diving once again towards the vessel and immediately took Benítez’s place at the Browning .50 calibre machine gun. He aimed and began firing at the attacking aircraft, shouting:

“¡Viva la Patria!” — Long live the Fatherland!

His courage and marksmanship allowed him to hit one of the Sea Harriers that was approaching from astern, firing at point-blank range. The aircraft withdrew inland, trailing a thick plume of smoke behind it. The other aircraft managed to veer away and left the area, following its badly wounded mate.

Minutes later, the vessel ran aground. The crew disembarked and took shelter on land, tending to the wounded, and by nightfall they were evacuated. Later, the howitzers and ammunition, which had remained inside the vessel in a section that had been flooded, were recovered by an improvised diving mission carried out by Chanampa’s men. They were then transported to Darwin by helicopter. In this way, the mission assigned to the Río Iguazú was completed after all, and those guns went on to take part in the fierce fighting that later broke out at Darwin-Goose Green.

And what happened to the English aircraft and its pilot? The CIC at Puerto Argentino, using its AN/TPS-43 radar, had detected three aircraft and was able to monitor two of them breaking off for the attack. Later, it tracked the withdrawal of the three aircraft until one of them began descending and disappeared a few kilometres from the target, while the other two continued flying until they were lost beyond the radar horizon. Naturally, the British did not acknowledge any loss at the time.

According to the British, the Sea Harriers involved were XZ496, flown by Lieutenant Hale, to whom they attributed the attack, and XZ460, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Frederiksen, who provided top cover. Not only do they deny that any aircraft was damaged, they also make no reference whatsoever to the third aircraft detected by the CIC at Puerto Argentino.

In Argentina, it is taken as fact that a Sea Harrier was shot down — almost certainly ZA192, flown by Lieutenant Commander Gordon Batt, who was killed. Batt had been one of those who attacked and sank the Argentine fishing vessel Narwal while it was carrying out intelligence work, and for that he was decorated posthumously with the DFC. The British, however, claim that the loss of this aircraft and pilot occurred, with no rational explanation to this day, one day later — on 23 May — when, after allegedly taking off alone, something impossible since British fighters operated in pairs or threes, the aircraft mysteriously exploded without reporting any fault or alarm and fell into the sea without leaving a trace.

The wounded Argentines were transported by Air Force helicopters to Puerto Argentino for treatment. The rest of the crew, including the Army personnel who had not suffered casualties, were taken to the settlement at Darwin, where they remained for two days until they could be returned to Puerto Argentino, where their presence was later deemed unnecessary for the fighting.

On 24 May, the remains of Second Corporal Julio Omar Benítez were buried with military honours at Darwin, in the presence of his Prefecture comrades who had not yet been evacuated, as well as senior personnel and troops from the Army and Air Force of the local garrison.

When the fighting at Darwin-Goose Green ended, Royal Navy experts inspected the GC-83 and determined that she could be recovered. But bad luck for them: on 13 June 1982, a Royal Navy Lynx helicopter, XZ691 of 815 Squadron, assigned to the Leander-class frigate HMS Penelope, mistook her for a vessel on an incursion and fired a Sea Skua missile, which struck the launch’s bridge and rendered her completely useless.

While the GC-82 was captured when Puerto Argentino fell the following day, the GC-83 remained abandoned for many years at the spot where she had been beached, until, on an undetermined date, she was freed, towed to a deeper area of the bay, and sunk. Not like what was done with the submarine ARA Santa Fe in South Georgia, which they tried to take to the United Kingdom as a war trophy, only for the operation to fail and the submarine to sink hundreds of kilometres off the South Georgia coast — when she could perfectly well have been sunk a couple of kilometres offshore, where she posed no danger whatsoever to navigation.

Second Corporal Julio Omar Benítez was promoted posthumously to the rank of First Corporal and was awarded the medal “The Argentine Nation to the Fallen in Combat.”

Second Corporal José Raúl Ibáñez, a Corrientes man from the town of Libertador, in the district of Esquina, received the highest decoration in existence: “The Argentine Nation for Heroic Valour in Combat.” In 1984 he married. He has one daughter, Rocío Belén, and two sons, Hernán and Gustavo Joaquín. He continued serving the Fatherland, proudly wearing the uniform of the Argentine Naval Prefecture, until reaching the highest rank in his career branch, and now enjoys his recent retirement.

The Argentine wounded were awarded the medal “The Argentine Nation to the Wounded in Combat.”

All of Benítez’s comrades, the crewmen of the Río Iguazú, also received the distinctions “Operations in Malvinas” and “Prefecture in Malvinas,” which to this day they wear with pride for having fulfilled their duty and their oath to defend the Fatherland — just like San Martín’s grenadiers, Brown’s sailors, Güemes’s gauchos, Mansilla’s artillerymen, Roca’s horsemen, the engineers of Manchala, the infantrymen of the 29th Regiment of Formosa, and the soldiers and policemen of La Tablada.

As the Liberator, General Don José de San Martín, rightly said:

“Argentines are not empanadas to be eaten with no more effort than opening one’s mouth.”

FIRST CORPORAL JULIO OMAR BENÍTEZ — SALUTE!
LONG LIVE THE FATHERLAND!

Images: We see the heroic PNA Second Corporal José Raúl Ibáñez of the coastguard GC-83 Río Iguazú, later as First Corporal; in another image, in the Malvinas, still a Second Corporal, holding the M2HB with which he would be responsible for the downing of Sea Harrier ZA192; and later, as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, acting as standard-bearer for the Argentine Naval Prefecture at an official ceremony. There are also images of the Río Iguazú and her crew during operations in the Malvinas; Sea Harriers in action; the Islas Malvinas captured by the British and moored alongside HMS Cardiff; a Z-28 class patrol launch in its traditional peacetime livery; the Río Iguazú out of action in Choiseul Sound; and the man from Entre Ríos, born in Basavilbaso, PNA Second Corporal Julio Omar Benítez, 1962–1982, who joined the Argentine Naval Prefecture in 1979 and gave his life for the Fatherland on that 22 May 1982.

A-4C with Magic in Its Wings

A-4C post-Malvinas

The Argentine Air Force Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, photographed in 1983, reflects a very particular stage of the post-Malvinas War period. During those years, the integration of French Matra weaponry was evaluated, with homologation tests being carried out on the R550 Magic missile on A-4Cs based at the IV Air Brigade.

The Magic was never used operationally on the A-4Cs, but its technical evaluation and certification progressed. The objective was clear: to try to equip the weapons system with an air-to-air capability superior to that offered by the veteran Shafrir missiles, whose performance was already limited by the standards of the time.

The image is historic not because the missile entered service, but because of the context it represents: an Air Force that, barely a year after the conflict, was seeking to adapt, modernize, and expand its capabilities. Technology, testing, and future projections under the wings of a Skyhawk that had already earned its place in history.

Malvinas: On How the AAF Operated the Pucará

 

This is how we had to operate with the Pucará

Account taken from the book “With God in the Soul and a Falcon in the Heart”
Narrated by: Captain Grunert — Pucará pilot
Date: 1 May 1982
Place: Darwin
Flight: Captain Grunert, No. 1; Lieutenant Calderón, No. 2; Lieutenant Russo, No. 3; and Lieutenant Cimbaro, No. 4
Weather: calm wind, 3/8 Ac. As. — altocumulus and altostratus. Almost half the sky covered.

Take-off: night-time.

At approximately 05:00 hours we were woken by the Squadron Commander, Major “Toto” Navarro, who informed us that Puerto Argentino had been attacked at 04:40 hours and that we should prepare to take off at first light.

After the pre-flight briefing, we went to a small hut beside the runway to wait while the runway markers were put in place: two at the threshold, one on top of a half 200-litre drum, and another at the opposite threshold.

The flight that was to take off was designated, but since No. 1 and No. 2 were not ready, No. 3 and No. 4 were ordered to take off, in that order.

At the threshold we placed the two aircraft parallel to one another, in order to make use of as much ground as possible, since the field was very short and take-off was not safe. It was a semi-prepared strip laid out on a paddock, very soft and uneven.

While we were at the threshold, No. 1 and No. 2 were taxiing towards it.

During the take-off run, No. 3 put one of its undercarriage wheels into a hole, causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. It became completely airborne for approximately 15 seconds and then came down again on three points. By the time it reached the end of the runway, the aircraft was still 5 kilometres per hour below the speed needed for take-off. The departure was extremely rough, with the aircraft buffeting and its wheel striking the marker at the end of the strip.

At the end of the threshold, about 30 metres away, there was a wire fence covered with a kind of creeper roughly 1.5 metres high, which made the take-off even more critical.

Once airborne, No. 4 set course to the south, where we were to remain awaiting orders, while No. 1 and No. 2 were to carry out an offensive reconnaissance before rejoining in the southern sector of Cóndor Base, at Darwin.

No. 1 and No. 2 were unable to take off because No. 1 had an accident at the runway threshold. As a result, the only element available to carry out the mission was the section made up of No. 3 and No. 4.

After five minutes of waiting, the section headed towards the target: a British helicopter-borne landing — an attack with men transported by helicopters — near Puerto Argentino. The radar later informed us that the helicopters had disappeared. For that reason, and after overflying the area, we returned to our base of origin.

With fuel already down to the minimum, I contacted the tower and requested permission to enter the circuit. Permission was denied, and I was ordered to proceed to the alternative airfield, Calderón Naval Air Base, located on Isla Borbón.

Since my fuel gauge was almost at zero, I informed the tower and requested authorisation to land, but they repeated the previous instructions. On my third communication, I was ordered to reach the alternative by any means necessary, because Darwin had been under attack by enemy aircraft for the previous two hours.

The section reached Calderón with practically no fuel left, and No. 3 had to land with the nose wheel unlocked, since it had been twisted during take-off when it hit the hole. To make matters worse, this runway was even worse than the one at Cóndor Base: its surface was very soft and prone to flooding, something that would cause us serious problems in the future.

We were all eager to refuel and rearm, because the escape of our prey had left us full of frustration and with a strong desire to make them pay for the surprise attack of that early morning. But the days to come would more than give us the chance for a revenge we would never forget.

Malvinas: Call Sign "Jaguar"

Call Sign "Jaguar"

Three A-4C Skyhawks, call sign “Jaguar,” took off from San Julián at 10:00 AM. Crew: First Lieutenant José Vázquez (C-324), Ensign Guillermo Martínez (C-318), and Lieutenant Jorge Bono.
They reached the target area at approximately 11:30 AM without being intercepted. They headed towards San Carlos Bay on a heading of 190/220 and dropped six bombs on the frigate Arrow. A wingman spotted a call sign on the structure. They estimated eight to ten ships in the strait. One was identified as the Canberra. They received heavy anti-aircraft fire from the ships and land. Upon exiting, they realized that all three aircraft were losing fuel significantly. They jettisoned their tanks and flew on a heading of 210° for three minutes. The squadron leader ordered the ejection of Number 3, but he reported that he still had 3,000 lbs of fuel remaining. They set a heading of 260°, climbing over the San Carlos Strait. They spotted a ship and descended again. After crossing the strait (5 NM north of Fox Bay), they climbed and checked their fuel: No. 1: 1,500 lb, No. 2: 2,280 lb, and No. 3: 2,500 lb.



They crossed Gran Malvina, climbing, but upon entering the sea north of South Georgia Island, they observed No. 3 (Lieutenant Bono) begin a gentle descending turn and impact in the sea.
There are doubts about his ejection, but in any case, he fell into the icy water. They requested guidance from the KC-130 Hercules "Madrid 2"; they found it at flight level 100 and docked (No. 1 had 200 lb and No. 2 had 1,200 lb). Thus attached to the Hercules, they reached the mainland, flying 30 nautical miles from San Julián, where they undocked and landed at 1:00 PM. The KC-130 Hercules transferred 39,000 pounds of air to Squadron No. 1 and, to assist the Jaguars, had to approach to within 60 nautical miles west of Gran Malvinas.



This sortie will be inscribed in the history of world aviation for the boundless courage of its pilots. Lieutenant Jorge Bono, who could have ejected and descended softly with his parachute, gave his life. A few days later, on May 30, First Lieutenant José Vázquez would follow him in the attack on the aircraft carrier Invincible, but that is another story.