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===Background=== ===Background===


The 1982 ] ({{lang-es|Guerra de las Malvinas}}) took a heavy toll on the ], which lost over ]. Due to the deteriorating national ] situation and ], the Air Force was denied the resources needed to replace its war losses. The 1982 ] took a heavy toll on the ], which lost over ]. Due to the deteriorating national ] situation and ], the Air Force was denied the resources needed to replace its war losses.


The supply of modern combat aircraft had been restricted since the ] had imposed an ] in ] for human rights abuses, they were further restrictions when the ] also imposed an ] in ]. The only combat aircraft that the Air Force could obtain were ten ]s, transferred from the ]; 19 Mirage IIICJs from ], veterans of the ]; and two Mirage IIIB trainers from the ]. The supply of modern combat aircraft had been restricted since the ] had imposed an ] in ] for human rights abuses, they were further restrictions when the ] also imposed an ] in ]. The only combat aircraft that the Air Force could obtain were ten ]s, transferred from the ]; 19 Mirage IIICJs from ], veterans of the ]; and two Mirage IIIB trainers from the ].

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A-4AR Fightinghawk
File:OA-4AR C901 CLOFTING IMG 6720+ jpg.jpg
A two-seat OA-4AR taking off
Role Ground attackType of aircraft
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin
Introduction December 1997
Status operational
Primary user Argentine Air Force
Produced 1996–1999
Number built 36 converted
Developed from A-4M Skyhawk

The Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk is a major upgrade of the McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk attack aircraft developed for the Argentine Air Force.

Design and development

Background

The 1982 Falklands War took a heavy toll on the Argentine Air Force, which lost over 60 aircraft. Due to the deteriorating national economic situation and political distrust of the military, the Air Force was denied the resources needed to replace its war losses.

The supply of modern combat aircraft had been restricted since the United States had imposed an arms embargo in 1978 for human rights abuses, they were further restrictions when the United Kingdom also imposed an arms embargo in 1982. The only combat aircraft that the Air Force could obtain were ten Mirage 5Ps, transferred from the Peruvian Air Force; 19 Mirage IIICJs from Israel, veterans of the Six-Day War; and two Mirage IIIB trainers from the French Air Force.

In 1989, Carlos Menem was elected President of Argentina and quickly established a pro-United States foreign policy. Although the economic situation improved, the funds to purchase new combat aircraft like the Mirage 2000 remained unavailable.

In 1994, the United States made a counteroffer to modernize 36 ex-USMC A-4M Skyhawks in a US$282 million deal that would be carried out by Lockheed Martin and included the privatization of the Fabrica Militar de Aviones (English for Military Aircraft Factory), now Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA.

Production

Argentine Air Force technicians chose 32 A-4M and 4 TA-4F airframes from the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center to upgrade. The upgrade plans included:

The A-4M airframes were equipped with the TV and laser spot tracker Hughes AN/ASB-19 Angle Rate Bombing System (ARBS) but these were removed after their conversion as A-4AR, as the radar could provide the same data.

The contract stipulated that 8 airframes would be refurbished at the Lockheed-Martin Plant in Palmdale, California and the rest (27) in Córdoba, Argentina at LMAASA (ex-FMA).

At least ten TA-4J and A-4M airframes for use as spare parts, eight additional engines, and a new A-4AR simulator were also delivered.

Operational history

The Fightinghawks, having received Air Force serials C-901 to C-936, saw their first group arrive in Argentina on 18 December 1997 and the first "Argentine" A-4AR was rolled out on 3 August 1998 at Cordoba. The last one, number 936, was delivered to the Air Force in March 2000. Two aircraft (a one-seat and a two-seat) remain some time in the United States for weapons homologation.

All of the A-4ARs were delivered to the 5th Air Brigade (V Brigada Aérea) at Villa Reynolds, San Luis Province, where they replaced two squadrons of Falklands/Malvinas veteran A-4P (locally known A-4B) and A-4C. They were soon deployed in rotation around the country from Rio Gallegos in the south to Resistencia in the north where they were used intercept smugglers and drug trafficking airplanes.

In September 1998, just months after their arrival and again in April 2001, United States Air Force F-16 visited Villa Reynolds for the Southern Falcon joint exercise, known as Aguila (Spanish for Eagle) in Argentina. In 2004, the A-4ARs went abroad for the joint exercise Cruzex, along with Brazilian F-5s and Mirages, Venezuelan F-16s and French Mirage 2000s.

In November 2005 they were deployed to Tandil airbase to enforce a no-fly zone for the Mar del Plata Summit of the Americas and later met Chilean Mirage Elkans, Brazilian AMXs and Uruguayan A-37 at Mendoza for the joint exercise Ceibo.

In July 2006 they were deployed to Cordoba province for the Mercosur's 30th Presidents Summit, while in August and September they went north again to Brazil for the Cruzex III joint exercise with Brazil, Chile, France, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

In June 2008 they were deployed to Tucumán province for the Mercosur's Presidents Summit.

In August 2009 they were deployed to Bariloche for the UNASUR Presidents summit.

In Octuber 2009 A-4ARs will be deployed to Chile for joint exercise Salitre with Chile, Brazil, France and the United States

Operators

 Argentina

Accidents

As of January 2009, after 11 years of service, two A-4ARs have been lost:

Specifications (A-4AR Fightinghawk)

Orthographically projected diagram of the A-4 Skyhawk.
Orthographically projected diagram of the A-4 Skyhawk.

Data from FAA Official site and A-4 Skyhawk

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 (2 in OA-4AR)

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. Two seats C-901 BuNo 154328, C-902 BuNo 154294, C-903 BuNo 154651 & C-904 BuNo 153531 are TA-4F built airframes later converted to the OA-4M variant. On the contrary the single seats were originally built as A-4M
  2. ' ejercicio pre salitre 2009 FAA site
  3. "Accidentes aéreos en San Luis" Template:Es
  4. "Se estrelló un A-4AR de la FAA" Template:Es

External links

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