Argentine Air Force. Air Force of Argentina: the need for a radical update. Brief information about the country

In the light of recent events taking place in Ukraine and the Middle East, Great Britain is quietly escalating the situation in the South Atlantic, seeking to keep the Malvinas Islands under its colonial rule. At the same time, Argentina must return this archipelago. But leading role in a possible conflict, as in 1982, aviation will play.

Argentine air force crisis: how it all began

After left-wing President Nestor Kirchner came to power in May 2003, Western countries stepped up pressure on Argentina; the rapprochement of the new Front for Victory government with Venezuela and Brazil did not go unnoticed in the United States and Great Britain. The rapid aging of the fleet sharply raised the question of its urgent modernization, however, the consequences of the 1982 war and the financial and economic collapse of 2001 still affect - money for the purchase the latest aircraft simply no.
Looking in retrospect at the causes conflict situation in the South Atlantic, it becomes clear that back in 1522, the Malvinas Islands were discovered by a member of the Spanish round-the-world expedition of Fernando Magellan, Esteban Gomez. This name was given to the islands in the 18th century by colonists from the French port of Saint-Malo.
In 1816, the Malvinas Islands became part of independent Argentina. However, already in 1833, English settlers claimed that the archipelago supposedly belonged to the British crown. Despite the protests of the Argentine public, Great Britain in 1892 declared the Malvinas its colony.
Back in April-June 1982, Argentina tried to regain the islands by declaring war on Great Britain, but the Air Force of the South American country suffered big losses. But the trouble did not come alone - under the pressure of sanctions from official London, the restoration of the air fleet was extremely slow, and after the events of December 2001, the position of the Argentine Air Force became completely critical.
In order to ensure the security of the country, the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner should intensify military-technical cooperation with Russia and China, Brazil and Venezuela; start modernizing air bases along the entire length of Patagonia, as well as near Buenos Aires to repel attacks by aircraft carrier formations of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance; however, these tasks remain unresolved.
The Argentine Air Force, according to approximate data, has 13 Mirage III fighters, seven Mirage 5Р, 13 Israeli-made Dagger fighters (a copy of the French Mirage 5), 24 attack aircraft of its own design FMA IA-58A Pucara, six American-made A-4AR attack aircraft, five to six C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, one KC-130H tanker, six Dutch-made Fokker F28s. The fleet of lightly armed training and combat vehicles, most of which are obsolete types, is most fully represented. These are 31 US-made T-34A training aircraft, 22 Brazilian-made EMB-312 Tukanos, 11 FMA IA-63 Pampa combat training aircraft, and seven Su-29 trainers. Helicopter units are represented by 11 Hughes 500 (MD 500) rotorcraft, eight UH-1H Iroquois, five Textron 212, two Aerospasial SA.315B, two Mi-171, one Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk and S -76B Mk II. The Argentine Naval Aviation is armed with nine Brazilian-made EMB-326 Chavante combat training aircraft, five to eight Super Etandar carrier-based attack aircraft, six P-3B Orion patrol aircraft, five S-2T anti-submarine aircraft, and about 14 helicopters.
Analyzing the state of combat aviation in Argentina, it should be noted that today the country is much weaker than itself than in 1982: on March 10, 2013, a report on the combat readiness of its fleet was circulated in Argentina. According to the information provided in the document, only 16% of the strength of the Argentine Air Force can be considered combat-ready. For comparison, this figure is 50% for the Air Forces of Brazil and Chile (Argentina itself reached it in 2001-2003), and 75% for the US Air Force and France. In 2007-2010, the level of combat readiness of the Argentine Air Force dropped to 30%. It was noted that the established indicators of the serviceability of combat aviation continue to fall.
It is quite obvious that in the event of a new conflict, British aviation formations will seize air supremacy in a matter of days. And at present, the country of "Foggy Albion", in essence, is preparing for war according to the principle: "Weakness is a pretext for violence."

Argentina looking for partners

Pressure from the West is forcing the Argentine authorities to save money on the elementary maintenance of at least part of the fleet in flight condition, while the official Buenos Aires often fulfills the requirements of possible aircraft suppliers on conditions that are obviously unfavorable for themselves. Thus, according to media reports, the Argentine Ministry of Defense plans to spend up to $280 million on the purchase of used Israeli Kfir C.10 fighter jets.
For this amount, it is planned to purchase 14 fighters. Probably, the contract will be signed with the Israeli state company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Argentine Defense Minister Agustin Rossi said that a decision on the purchase of aircraft will be made in the near future.
It is noted that before making a decision, representatives of the Argentine military department will make an inquiry about the cost of used aircraft from several other suppliers. The purchase of combat vehicles is planned to be carried out before December 2015. By this time, the Argentine Ministry of Defense plans to completely write off the Mirage III fighters, which are currently in service with the country.
The terms of the deal with Israel suggest that the Kfir C.10 aircraft will be upgraded before delivery to the customer. What exactly will be the modernization of fighters is not reported.
Kfir C.10 (Kfir-2000) — multirole fighter, which represents upgraded version aircraft "Kfir" C.7., developed by IAI for export. It had a cockpit with improved panoramic visibility, aerial refueling equipment, and new avionics in a longer nose cone. The cockpit has an indicator on the windshield, two multifunctional color displays, it is possible to use a pilot's helmet with in-helmet displays. The Kfir C.10 can carry the RAFAEL Derby anti-radar missile and the latest RAFAEL Python air-to-air missiles with a thermal homing head (while the Israeli machine is inferior in combat capabilities even to the Soviet MiG-23).
Earlier, the Argentine Air Force planned to purchase used Spanish Mirage F1M fighters. But in early 2014, the country's military department abandoned these plans.
In addition, in October this year The Argentine government decided to start consultations with the Swedish company Saab, with the aim of acquiring 24 JAS-39 Gripen-NG fighters. The conditions for the purchase of new fighters, as well as the share of participation of Argentine enterprises in the production of these aircraft, will be the subject of negotiations in the coming months between representatives of the two countries.
However, with all this, it is not clear why the Argentine authorities do not think about the fact that it is the Su-30MK, Su-25SM, Il-78 and other Russian aircraft that will significantly strengthen the Argentine air fleet, and in the conditions of the actions of "financial vultures" signing contracts with the West and Israel It's like signing your own death warrant.

Aviation and geopolitics: tensions rise

As already mentioned, the conduct of an independent foreign policy by the government of Cristina Fernandez arouses anger in the West. Despite the peace initiatives of Argentina, the UK continues to build up a military group near the Malvinas Islands.
Back in February 2010, the first English drilling platform appeared on the Malvinas shelf - huge reserves of oil and gas were discovered, which in terms of volume may well compete with oil pantries North Sea. British experts define them as 60 billion barrels, clearly underestimating the figure so as not to "tease the Argentines." It is clear that in a good way the British do not want to leave. In response, the official Buenos Aires said that the British policy threatens the security of Argentina and banned "suspicious ships" with pipes and equipment used in oil exploration from going to sea.
However, it would be wrong to think that the escalation of the situation is due to oil alone. Even if there were no oil in the Malvinas, the archipelago is still strategically important.
First. The islands occupy a strategically important position on the approaches to the Strait of Magellan and the Drake Strait, that is, they give control over by sea linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Second. The islands are of great military importance as a NATO base near South America and the supply base of their ships in the region.
Third. Claims to various sectors of Antarctica are associated with the right to own the Malvins. These claims are frozen by the 1959 agreement, but no one has abandoned them.
It must also be borne in mind that Argentina has a significant length of maritime borders. It is clear that the fleet, deprived of air support, will be destroyed; he can only get cover from attack and naval aviation. However, in the event of the acquisition of Russian aircraft from the Argentine Air Force, it will be possible to operate at more distant lines of interception, thereby destroying aircraft carrier strike groups and landing units of NATO countries near the Malvinas archipelago.
Another significant point: Great Britain is one of the most sworn enemies of Russia, while our country has a great chance to change the balance of power in its favor. In addition, it must be remembered that Argentina, albeit behind the scenes, but supported our country in the Crimean issue. In March of this year, Christina de Kirchner sharply criticized the United States and Great Britain for the policy of “double standards” in relation to Crimea and the Malvinas Islands: “If the referendum is held by Crimea, then this is wrong, but if the Falklanders do it, then everything is fine. Such a position does not withstand any criticism, ”said the President of Argentina.
So, Argentina must resist Western pressure; without a deep modernization of its own combat aviation, the country is doomed to defeat - this is clear to everyone. In turn, Russia needs to carry out an offensive foreign policy to occupy the promising arms market. And in this case, the principle should apply: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Air Force of Argentina

Air Force of Argentina are one of the three branches of the Argentine Armed Forces, and have equal status with the army and navy. The President of Argentina appoints the commander of the air force, as well as other military branches. The Chief of the Air Force General Staff usually holds the rank of brigadier general, the highest rank in the air force.

Story

Pulqui II aircraft of the Argentine Air Force. 1951

The history of the Argentine Air Force begins with the creation on August 10, 1912 of the Escuela de Aviación Militar (Military Aviation School) (military aviation school). Among the first officers of the Argentine air force was Jorge Newbery, who had retired from the Argentine Navy.

Immediately after the end of World War II, the Air Force began a modernization process with new aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor jet fighter. In doing so, they became the first air force in Latin America to be equipped with jet aircraft. In addition, Avro Lincoln and Avro_Lancaster bombers were acquired, which made it possible to create a powerful strategic air force in the region. Air Force, in collaboration with German specialists started developing their own aircraft, such as the Pulqui I and Pulqui II, making Argentina the first country in Latin America and the sixth in the world to independently develop a jet fighter.

In 1952, the Air Force began flying to the Antarctic Science Base.

Aircraft IAI Dagger (Israeli version of the Mirage-V) of the Argentine Air Force. October 1981

During the 1970s, the Air Force was equipped with the most modern aircraft of the period, including:

Mirage III interceptors,
IAI Dagger (Israeli version of Mirage-V),
attack aircraft A-4 Skyhawk,
C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

In addition, the Pucará aircraft was used in significant numbers in the fight against the insurgents.

Falklands (Malvinas) War (Guerra de las Malvinas / Guerra del Atlántico Sur), inflicted big damage air force, which lost 60 aircraft. Due to the deteriorating economic situation, and lack of confidence in the army, the air force was denied the resources needed to replace military losses. This, combined with budget cuts, led to a reduction in the activity of the Argentine Air Force.

In the 1990s, the British blockade was officially lifted and after failing to obtain IAI Kfirs or F-16As, 36 A-4M Skyhawks (known as A-4AR Fightinghawks) were purchased from the United States. These aircraft were to replace the Bravos and Charlies, which had already fought during the Falklands War.

Currently

The Argentine Air Force participates in United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world. They flew a Boeing 707 in 1991 during the Gulf War.

Since 1994 they have been participating in the UN Air Force (UNFLIGHT) in Cyprus. The Argentine Air Force has also deployed Bell 212s to Haiti since 2005, as mandated by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

In early 2005, seventeen senior air force officers, including the chief of staff, Brigadier General Carlos Rohde, were sacked by President Néstor Kirchner in connection with a drug smuggling scandal at Ezeiza International Airport.

The main tasks of the air force at present are the creation of a radar network to control airspace countries, the replacement of old combat aircraft (Mirage III, Mirage V), as well as the introduction of new technologies. The possibility of buying the French "Mirage 2000C" is being considered.

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Fuerza Aérea Argentina Argentine Air Force Emblem of the Argentine Air Force ... Wikipedia

Aviación Naval Naval Aviation Years of existence since February 11, 1916 Country ... Wikipedia

Infantería de Marina de la República Argentina (IMARA) Argentine Marine Corps Emblem of the Argentine Marine Corps Country ... Wikipedia

Armada de la República Argentina (ARA) Argentine Navy Emblem of the Argentine Navy Country ... Wikipedia

Fuerzas Armadas de la Republica Argentina Armed Forces of Argentina Emblem of the Unified Command of the Armed Forces of Argentina Country ... Wikipedia

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Argentina (Spanish for “silver”) is a large state located in the southern part of South America. Republic, occupying an area of almost 2,767,000 square meters. km, has land borders with 5 states of the continent. In the north, the country borders on Bolivia and Paraguay, a little to the east - on Brazil. Uruguay is Argentina's neighbor to the east. Chile stretches along the entire western border as a narrow strip of land.

Brief information about the country

The east coast of Argentina is washed by the waters Atlantic Ocean. The state is territorially divided into 23 provinces and 1 capital district of federal significance. More than 44 million people live in the country, speaking mainly the main state language- Spanish. The capital of the country is a large political and economic conglomerate of Buenos Aires, which is inhabited (with suburbs) by more than 15 million people. The Argentine Republic became sovereign after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1816. The name “Argentina” was acquired by the state in 1826.

A brief history of the emergence of the Argentine army and the activities of its leadership in the late XIX - early XXI centuries.

Professional Argentina formed over several recent decades 19th century. The Argentine army was under constant strict control of the country's civilian authorities until 1930, when the country's president, Hipólito Yrigoyen, was overthrown by 1,500 soldiers. After that, the military received much more powers, repeatedly carried out a violent change of power in the country.

After coup d'état and the overthrow of Isabel Peron from the presidency of the country from 1976 to 1983, a military junta led by General J. R. Videla and Admiral E. E. Massera was in power in Argentina. During this period, the era of national reorganization was announced in the country, as a result of which more than 30 thousand people were illegally arrested. More than 10 thousand people recognized as enemies political regime, was killed. Military spending, which increased to the level of 25% of the country's annual budget, led to hyperinflation (more than 300% per year). The military government imposed austerity by banning the increase wages and other social payments.

Early 1980s. with the collapse of the three largest banks in the country came new round crisis. In order to divert the population from internal economic problems, General Leopoldo Galtieri, who led Argentina in 1982, undertakes a military landing of his soldiers on the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands located to the east of the mainland, over which the British held a protectorate for 150 years. The operation is lightning-fast and ends on April 2 with the surrender of Argentine troops to the British and the death of more than 1,000 Argentine soldiers and the destruction of 60 combat aircraft.

Soon, another general, Reinaldo Bignone, became the head of state and the national army, but he continued the policy of repression.

Only in December 1983 did a representative come to power civil society Raoul Alfonsin. He puts the Argentine army under the control of civilian power, organizes prosecution leaders of the military junta, holds a number of economic reforms. But even these reforms lead to a significant reduction in the level of industrial production and great unrest among the military.

Carlos Menem, who came later, carried out a number of new economic transformations, achieved a reduction in inflation from 5000% to 4% per year, growth national economy at 30%. His further policy led the country to a technical default on the payment of its external debt in 2001. By that time, the influence of the military on the country's civilian leadership had been significantly reduced.

Argentina squad today

The President of Argentina is all branches of the country's armed forces and appoints commanders of all headquarters, groupings and branches of the armed forces. The Armed Forces of Argentina are directly subordinate to the Minister of Defense of the country, who heads the National Ministry of Defense of Argentina.

It is endowed with the right, with the approval of the National Congress, to go to war with other states, to declare a state of emergency, general mobilization.

He also chairs the National Defense Committee. Currently, the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic include the following types of troops:

land;
military air;
naval;
national gendarmerie;
maritime prefecture (coastal and coastal troops).

Ground armed formations are divided into three groupings of troops: northwestern, northeastern and southern. This type of units includes aviation forces. The formations are led by Cesar Milani. Part ground forces includes 3 headquarters of the army corps, as well as:

2 brigades of armored tanks;
4 mechanized brigades;
2 infantry brigades (for operations in the mountains);
1 special infantry battery (for operations in the jungle);
airborne and training brigades;
a regiment of cavalry and motorized exhibition troops (escort of the head of state);
motorized infantry battalion;
a group of artillerymen;
2 groups of anti-aircraft gunners;
a group of aviation troops;
engineering battalion.

In addition to the listed formations, this type of troops includes tank, airborne and mechanized reserve brigades.

The armament of the ground forces is: 53 helicopters, 44 aircraft, 128 tanks of a small light class, 230 main combat multipurpose tanks, 123 combat reconnaissance vehicles, 123 infantry fighting vehicles, 518 armored personnel carriers, 220 guns, 1760 mortars, 6 jet systems salvo fire, 600 anti-tank launch systems guided missiles, 80 portable anti-aircraft missile systems, 97 anti-aircraft guns. The number of troops is 55,000 people.

Leads general staff Argentine Air Force Brigadier Major Enrique Amrein. The history of the Air Force, as a branch of the military, dates back to August 10, 1912, when a school of military aviation was established in Argentina. Fifteen years later, the Aeronautics Administration appeared in the country, and a plant for the production of military aircraft was opened in Cordoba. In February 1944, the command was created state aviation, and in January 1945 the Air Force became a separate independent branch of the military. After the end of World War II, jet aircraft (Gloster Meteor, Avro Lancaster and Avro Lincoln) appeared in service with the Argentine army for the first time in Latin America.

In 1952, the aviation of Argentina established regular flights to the Antarctic zone, where a polar scientific base was opened. In 1970-1990. there was a period of modernization of the aviation group, the replacement of obsolete American military aircraft with more modern ones. However, at present, the weapons of the Argentine army are mainly outdated models of flight, ground and water military equipment.

Since the early 2000s Argentine air force grouping takes part in missions peacekeeping forces UN in the Persian Gulf, Cyprus and Haiti.

As of mid-2017, the grouping of troops air aviation countries include:

4 reconnaissance aircraft;
25 fighter-bombers;
about 60 transport aircraft of various capacity and purpose (37 transport aircraft, 19 transport aircraft) general purpose, 1 presidential board, 2 tankers);
81 training and training aircraft (including 7 Russian SU-29s);
45 reconnaissance and multi-purpose helicopters (including 5 Russian Mi-171 transport helicopters);
air defense systems.

Management naval forces Argentina is represented by 4 commands: submarine and surface forces, marines and naval aviation. Admiral Marcelo Sur is in charge of the general staff of the forces.

Surface fleet transports include:

4 destroyers;
9 corvettes;
9 patrol ships;
4 towing rescue vessels;
1 universal transport;
1 supply vessel;
1 icebreaker;
1 tanker;
3 general purpose vehicles;
3 auxiliary transport;
2 hydrographic vessels;
1 ship for research oceanographic needs;
1 training ship.

The group of submarine forces of Argentina is represented by 3 submarines of various classes (communication with one of them was lost during an underwater operation in September 2017).

Base points are:

the city of Bahia Blanca (the largest naval base of the country, Puerto Belgrano, where shipyards and an arsenal are located);
Mar del Plata (base of a grouping of 6 platoons of tactical divers special purpose(approx. 100 people);
dep. Ushuaia (island of Tierra del Fuego);
city of Zarate.

The Argentine Marine Corps consists of:

command;
five battalions of marines;
naval forces;
management and support units;
artillery, anti-aircraft, security battalions;
communications battalion and amphibious vehicles;
groups of paratroopers-saboteurs;
divisions of marine engineers;
groups of quartermasters;
Marine Corps School.

Geographically, in the structure of the Marine Corps, there are: river, southern and Atlantic maritime zones. The marines are armed with: armored personnel carriers, combat reconnaissance vehicles, wheeled all-terrain vehicles and towing-type howitzers (barrel diameter: 105 mm and 155 mm).

The Naval Air Force maintains 47 aircraft in service: 8 units. general purpose, 6 pcs. for maritime patrol, 5 units. anti-submarine, 2 units. transport, 9 units. combat training, 8 units. assault, 9 units. educational and training.

Gendarmerie

The gendarmerie service appeared in the country in 1938. Gendarmes are a kind internal troops daily monitoring the rule of law on the streets of the country. These are the Argentine police, of which there are more than 12,000 people. Another important purpose of this type of troops is the protection of the border territory. In addition to professionals, these troops include 70,000 volunteers. Management is carried out from 4 headquarters: in Cordoba, Campo de Mayo, Bahia Blanca and Rosario.

Naval Prefecture

The division is the troops coast guard state, has its own intelligence department. Ensures the inviolability and security of the coastline and public facilities, compliance with Argentinean legislation in the field of fishing, movement of own and foreign ships in the territorial waters of the state.

More than 13,000 soldiers are stationed in 10 base zones. The coast guard of the state includes: 6 aircraft-carrying ships "Mantilla" (1 helicopter on board), more than 60 boats various kinds and displacement, 3 research and support ships, service vessel, helicopters of various brands.

Leadership of the military branches of Argentina

The leadership of the armed forces of the Argentine Republic is carried out by the supreme commander of the country - the elected president. At the moment, this is Mauricio Macri, elected in December 2015. Previously, he was a member of the country's parliament (lower house) and mayor of the capital Buenos Aires.

Since 1985, he has been in business, leading a group of companies founded by his father. For 12 years (1995-2007) Macri served as head of football club Boko Juniors brought the club out of the crisis and made it one of the strongest in the world.

The country's armed forces are led by Defense Minister Oscar Aguad.

The Ministry of Defense is located in an old building, one of the symbols of the country's capital Buenos Aires - Libertador.

The structure of the Ministry of Defense of Argentina is as follows (the names of the leaders are indicated in brackets):

Committee of Chiefs of Staff (Bari del Sosa, Miguel Angel Mascolo);
General Staff (Diego Suñer);
Management of military tasks and strategy;
Planning Office;
Committee for the provision of external defense;
Office of Military Intelligence;
Human Rights Office;
Enterprises of the complex for the production of defense equipment;
Defense Technology Research Institute.

In general, the combat capability of the Argentine army is at high level. This is the second strongest (after the Brazilian) army on the continent. There are no major military conflicts in the region.

Armed Forces of Argentina and the Church

As part of the Armed Forces of Argentina, there is special structure- Ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church. The duties of this service include pastoral, spiritual assistance to the military personnel of the state and members of their families. The Ordinariate is subordinate to the Holy See of the Vatican.

Conflicts in which the Argentine army took part

Since its formation, the armed forces of the Argentine Republic have taken part in the following major military conflicts:

Military operations of 1810-1816, as a result of which Argentina gained independence from Spain.
The continuation of hostilities in the geographical region of the Rio de la Plata in 1818-1825, which led to the emergence independent states Paraguay and Uruguay.
Military conflict with Brazil (for the right to possess the province of Sisplatina) in 1825-1828.
War in alliance with Uruguay and Brazil against Paraguay in 1864-1870.
with Great Britain (in 1982) for the right to possess the Falkland Islands and the Sandwich Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
Internal military conflict in Uruguay in 1839-1851.

Today peace reigns in the country and on its borders.

In the light of recent events taking place in Ukraine and the Middle East, Great Britain is quietly escalating the situation in the South Atlantic, seeking to keep the Malvinas Islands under its colonial rule. At the same time, Argentina must return this archipelago. But the main role in a possible conflict, as in 1982, will be played by aviation.

Argentine air force crisis: how it all began

If we take a retrospective look at the causes of the conflict situation in the South Atlantic, it becomes clear that back in 1522, the Malvinas Islands were discovered by a member of the Spanish round-the-world expedition of Fernando Magellan, Esteban Gomez. This name was given to the islands in the 18th century by colonists from the French port of Saint-Malo.
In 1816, the Malvinas Islands became part of independent Argentina. However, already in 1833, English settlers claimed that the archipelago supposedly belonged to the British crown. Despite the protests of the Argentine public, Great Britain in 1892 declared the Malvinas its colony.

Back in April-June 1982, Argentina tried to regain the islands by declaring war on Great Britain, but the Air Force of the South American country suffered heavy losses. But the trouble did not come alone - under the pressure of sanctions from official London, the restoration of the fleet was extremely slow, and after the events of December 2001, the position of the Argentine Air Force became completely critical.

In order to ensure the security of the country, the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner should intensify military-technical cooperation with Russia and China, Brazil and Venezuela; start modernizing air bases along the entire length of Patagonia, as well as near Buenos Aires to repel attacks by aircraft carrier formations of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance; however, these tasks remain unresolved.

The Argentine Air Force, according to approximate data, has 13 Mirage III fighters, seven Mirage 5Р, 13 Israeli-made Dagger fighters (a copy of the French Mirage 5), 24 attack aircraft of its own design FMA IA-58A Pucara, six American-made A-4AR attack aircraft, five to six C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, one KC-130H tanker, six Dutch-made Fokker F28s. The fleet of lightly armed training and combat vehicles, most of which are obsolete types, is most fully represented. These are 31 US-made T-34A training aircraft, 22 Brazilian-made EMB-312 Tukanos, 11 FMA IA-63 Pampa combat training aircraft, and seven Su-29 trainers. Helicopter units are represented by 11 Hughes 500 (MD 500) rotorcraft, eight UH-1H Iroquois, five Textron 212, two Aerospasial SA.315B, two Mi-171, one Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk and S -76B Mk II. The Argentine Naval Aviation is armed with nine Brazilian-made EMB-326 Chavante combat training aircraft, five to eight Super Etandar carrier-based attack aircraft, six P-3B Orion patrol aircraft, five S-2T anti-submarine aircraft, and about 14 helicopters.

Analyzing the state of combat aviation in Argentina, it should be noted that today the country is much weaker than itself than in 1982: on March 10, 2013, a report on the combat readiness of its fleet was circulated in Argentina. According to the information provided in the document, only 16% of the strength of the Argentine Air Force can be considered combat-ready. For comparison, this figure is 50% for the Air Forces of Brazil and Chile (Argentina itself reached it in 2001-2003), and 75% for the US Air Force and France. In 2007-2010, the level of combat readiness of the Argentine Air Force dropped to 30%. It was noted that the established indicators of the serviceability of combat aviation continue to fall.

It is quite obvious that in the event of a new conflict, British aviation formations will seize air supremacy in a matter of days. And at present, the country of "Foggy Albion", in essence, is preparing for war according to the principle: "Weakness is a pretext for violence."

Argentina looking for partners

For this amount, it is planned to purchase 14 fighters. Probably, the contract will be signed with the Israeli state company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Argentine Defense Minister Agustin Rossi said that a decision on the purchase of aircraft will be made in the near future.

It is noted that before making a decision, representatives of the Argentine military department will make an inquiry about the cost of used aircraft from several other suppliers. The purchase of combat vehicles is planned to be carried out before December 2015. By this time, the Argentine Ministry of Defense plans to completely write off the Mirage III fighters, which are currently in service with the country.

The terms of the deal with Israel suggest that the Kfir C.10 aircraft will be upgraded before delivery to the customer. What exactly will be the modernization of fighters is not reported.

The Kfir C.10 (Kfir-2000) is a multirole fighter aircraft, which is an upgraded version of the Kfir C.7 aircraft developed by IAI for export. It had a cockpit with improved panoramic visibility, aerial refueling equipment, and new avionics in a longer nose cone. The cockpit has an indicator on the windshield, two multifunctional color displays, it is possible to use a pilot's helmet with in-helmet displays. The Kfir C.10 can carry the RAFAEL Derby anti-radar missile and the latest RAFAEL Python air-to-air missiles with a thermal homing head (while the Israeli machine is inferior in combat capabilities even to the Soviet MiG-23).

Earlier, the Argentine Air Force planned to purchase used Spanish Mirage F1M fighters. But in early 2014, the country's military department abandoned these plans.

In addition, in October of this year, the Argentine government decided to start consultations with the Swedish company Saab, with the aim of acquiring 24 JAS-39 Gripen-NG fighters. The conditions for the purchase of new fighters, as well as the share of participation of Argentine enterprises in the production of these aircraft, will be the subject of negotiations in the coming months between representatives of the two countries.

However, with all this, it is not clear why the Argentine authorities do not think about that it is the Su-30MK, Su-25SM, Il-78 and other Russian aircraft that will significantly strengthen the Argentine air fleet , and in the conditions of the actions of "financial vultures", signing contracts with the West and Israel is the same as signing a death warrant for yourself.

Aviation and geopolitics: tensions rise

Back in February 2010, the first English drilling platform appeared on the Malvinas shelf - huge reserves of oil and gas were discovered, which in terms of volume may well compete with the oil pantries of the North Sea. British experts define them as 60 billion barrels, clearly underestimating the figure so as not to "tease the Argentines." It is clear that in a good way the British do not want to leave. In response, the official Buenos Aires said that the British policy threatens the security of Argentina and banned "suspicious ships" with pipes and equipment used in oil exploration from going to sea.

However, it would be wrong to think that the escalation of the situation is due to oil alone. Even if there were no oil in the Malvinas, the archipelago is still strategically important.

First. The islands occupy a strategically important position on the approaches to the Strait of Magellan and the Drake Passage, that is, they give control over the sea routes connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Second. The islands are of great military importance as a NATO base near South America and a supply base for its ships in this region.

Third. Claims to various sectors of Antarctica are associated with the right to own the Malvins. These claims are frozen by the 1959 agreement, but no one has abandoned them.
It must also be borne in mind that Argentina has a significant length of maritime borders. It is clear that the fleet, deprived of air support, will be destroyed; he can only get cover from attack and naval aviation. However, in the event of the acquisition of Russian aircraft from the Argentine Air Force, it will be possible to operate at more distant lines of interception, thereby destroying aircraft carrier strike groups and landing units of NATO countries near the Malvinas archipelago.

Another significant point: the UK is one of the most sworn enemies of Russia , while our country has a great chance to change the balance of power in its favor. In addition, it must be remembered that Argentina, albeit behind the scenes, but supported our country in the Crimean issue. In March of this year, Christina de Kirchner sharply criticized the United States and Great Britain for the policy of "double standards" in relation to Crimea and the Malvinas Islands: “If the referendum is held by Crimea, then this is wrong, but if the Falklanders do it, then everything is fine. Such a position does not withstand any criticism,” the President of Argentina said.

So, Argentina must resist Western pressure; without a deep modernization of its own combat aviation, the country is doomed to defeat - this is clear to everyone. In its turn, Russia needs to pursue an offensive foreign policy to occupy the promising arms market. And in this case, the principle should apply: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Konstantin Fedorov

In the light of recent events taking place in Ukraine and the Middle East, Great Britain is quietly escalating the situation in the South Atlantic, seeking to keep the Malvinas Islands under its colonial rule. At the same time, Argentina must return this archipelago. But the main role in a possible conflict, as in 1982, will be played by aviation.

Argentine air force crisis: how it all began

In 1816, the Malvinas Islands became part of independent Argentina. However, already in 1833, English settlers claimed that the archipelago supposedly belonged to the British crown. Despite the protests of the Argentine public, Great Britain in 1892 declared the Malvinas its colony.

Back in April-June 1982, Argentina tried to regain the islands by declaring war on Great Britain, but the Air Force of the South American country suffered heavy losses. But the trouble did not come alone - under the pressure of sanctions from official London, the restoration of the air fleet was extremely slow, and after the events of December 2001, the position of the Argentine Air Force became completely critical.

Argentina looking for partners

The terms of the deal with Israel suggest that the Kfir C.10 aircraft will be upgraded before delivery to the customer. What exactly will be the modernization of fighters is not reported.

Earlier, the Argentine Air Force planned to purchase used Spanish Mirage F1M fighters. But in early 2014, the country's military department abandoned these plans.

However, with all this, it is not clear why the Argentine authorities do not think about the fact that it is the Su-30MK, Su-25SM, Il-78 and other Russian aircraft that will significantly strengthen the Argentine air fleet, and in the conditions of the actions of "financial vultures" signing contracts with the West and Israel It's like signing your own death warrant.

Aviation and geopolitics: tensions rise

However, it would be wrong to think that the escalation of the situation is due to oil alone. Even if there were no oil in the Malvinas, the archipelago is still strategically important.

Second. The islands are of great military importance as a NATO base near South America and a supply base for its ships in this region.

Third. Claims to various sectors of Antarctica are associated with the right to own the Malvins. These claims are frozen by the 1959 agreement, but no one has abandoned them.

It must also be borne in mind that Argentina has a significant length of maritime borders. It is clear that the fleet, deprived of air support, will be destroyed; he can only get cover from attack and naval aviation. However, in the event of the acquisition of Russian aircraft from the Argentine Air Force, it will be possible to operate at more distant lines of interception, thereby destroying aircraft carrier strike groups and landing units of NATO countries near the Malvinas archipelago.

Another significant point: Great Britain is one of the most sworn enemies of Russia, while our country has a great chance to change the balance of power in its favor. In addition, it must be remembered that Argentina, albeit behind the scenes, but supported our country in the Crimean issue. In March of this year, Christina de Kirchner sharply criticized the United States and Great Britain for the policy of "double standards" in relation to Crimea and the Malvinas Islands: “If the referendum is held by Crimea, then this is wrong, but if the Falklanders do it, then everything is fine. This position does not stand up to scrutiny."- said the President of Argentina.

So, Argentina must resist Western pressure; without a deep modernization of its own combat aviation, the country is doomed to defeat - this is clear to everyone. In turn, Russia needs to pursue an offensive foreign policy in order to occupy the promising arms market. And in this case, the principle should apply: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."