Argentine Air Force

The Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina, FAA) is the national Air force or aviation branch of the armed forces of Argentina.

History

The Argentine Air Force´s history begins with the establishment of the Escuela de Aviación Militar (Military Aviation School) on August 10 1912. Several military officers were amongst the pioneers of Argentine aviation, including Jorge Newbery, a retired Argentine Navy officer. The School began to turn out several military pilots who participated in milestone events in Argentine aviation, such as the crossing of the Andes mountains. In 1927 the Dirección General de Aeronáutica (General Directorate of Aeronautics) was created to coordinate the country´s military aviation. In that same year, the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (Military Aircraft Factory, FAM) was founded in Córdoba, which would become the heart of the country´s aviation industry.

By the 1940s there were several air units in the Army and the Navy, and the first step towards an independent force came on February 11 1944 with the establishment of the Aeronautical Command, which would go on to become the Argentine Air Force on January 4th, 1945, an independent force on par with the Army and the Navy.

Immediately after the end of World War II, the Air Force began a process of modernization, incorporating aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor jet fighter, thus becoming the first air force in Latin America equipped with jet-propelled aircraft. Also a number of Avro Lincoln and Avro Lancaster bombers were acquired, creating a powerful strategic force in the region. The Air Force, in collaboration with German technicians, also began to develop its own aircraft, such as the Pulqui I and Pulqui II, making Argentina the 1st country in Latin America and the 6th in the world to develop jet fighter technology on its own.

In 1952 the Air Force began flights to supply the early Antarctic scientific bases, expanding its activities in the Antarctic continent and establishing Marambio Base on September 25 1969.

During the 1970s the Air Force reequipped itself with modern aircraft for the period, including the Mirage III interceptors, IAI Dagger multi-role fighters (Israeli derivatives of the Mirage V), A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft and C-130 Hercules cargo planes. Also, a counter-insurgency airplane, the Pucará, was used in substantinal numbers.

The 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War took a great toll on the Air Force, which lost more than 80 aircraft. Due to the deteriorating economic situation, international opposition and political distrust upon the military, the Air Force was denied the resources needed to replace the war losses. This, coupled with diminishing budgets, led to a period of reduced activity and growing materiel obsolescence.

In the 1990s, the British embargo was officially eliminated and after economic and political failure attempts of getting surplus IAI Kfirs or F-16As, the United States sold 36 refurbished A-4M Skyhawk known as A-4AR Fightinghawks. Since their reception, the A-4AR demonstrated being a worthy replacement of the Bravos and Charlies that fought during the war.

On early 2005 the top seventeen brigadiers of the Air Force, including the Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Carlos Rohde, were sacked by President Néstor Kirchner following a drug traffic scandal through Ezeiza International Airport. Kirchner cited failures in the security systems of Argentine airports (which were overseen by the National Aeronautic Police, a branch of the Air Force) and cover-ups of the scandal, even though it later became known that many government agencies, among them the Interior Ministry, the Customs Administration and the Secretariat of State Intelligence knew about the drug traffic operations. The Air Force´s current Chief of Staff is Brigadier Eduardo Schiaffino.

The primary concerns of the Air Force nowadays are the establishment of a radar network for control of the country´s airspace, the replacement of its older combat aircraft (Mirage III, Mirage V) and the incorporation of new technologies. The possibility of purchasing surplus French Air Force Mirage 2000C fighters, like the option chosen by the Brazilian Air Force, has been considered.

Since the last decade, the FAA had established good relations with neighbours Brazilian Air Force and Chilean Air Force. They annually meet, on a rotation basis, in the join exercises Cruzex in Brasil, Ceibo in Argentina and Salitre in Chile.

Organization

The Argentine Air Force is one of the three branches of the Argentine military, in an equal footing with the Army and the Navy. The President of Argentina is Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force as well as of the other branches of the military.

The Air Force is headed by the Chief of the General Staff (Jefe del Estado Mayor General), directly appointed and removed by the President. The Air Force Chief of Staff usually holds the rank of Brigadier General, the highest rank of the Air Force. The Chief of Staff is seconded by a Deputy Chief of the General Staff and four senior officers in charge of the Air Force's four Commands: the Air Operations Command, the Air Regions Command, the Personnel Command and the Materiel Command.

The Air Operations Command (Comando de Operaciones Aéreas) is the branch of the Air Force responsible for aerospace defense, air operations, planning, training, technical and logistical support of the air units. Subordinate to the Air Operations Command are the Air Brigades (Brigadas Aéreas), the Air Force's major operative units. A total of eight Air Brigades are currently operational. Brigades are headquartered at Military Air Bases (Base Aérea Militar, commonly abbreviated "BAM").

Each Air Brigade is made up of three Groups, All Groups bear the same numeral as its mother Brigade:

One Air Group (Grupo Aéreo), which operates the aircraft assigned to the Brigade. The Air Group is divided into a variable number of Air Squadrons. Air Groups may be named according to their primary mission, for example an air group specialized in fighter operations receives the designation of Fighter Group (Grupo de Caza). Currently the Air Force includes three Fighter Groups (4th, 5th and 6th), one Attack Group (3rd), one Transport Group (1st) and three plain Air Groups (2nd, 7th and 9th). The 7th Air Group operates all the helicopters of the Air Force, while the 2nd includes a small reconnaissance unit as well as light transport aircraft. 9th Air Group is a light transport unit.
One Technical Group (Grupo Técnico), in charge of the maintenance and repair of the Brigade's aircraft.
One Base Group (Grupo Base), responsible for the air base itself, weather forecasting, flight control, runway maintenance, etc. Base Groups also include Base Flights (Escuadrillas de Base), generally made up of two or three liaison aircraft.

The Personnel Command (Comando de Personal) is responsible for the training, education, assignment and welfare of Air Force personnel. Under the control of the Personnel Command are the Military Aviation School (which educates the future officers of the Air Force), the Air Force NCO School and other educational and training units.

The Materiel Command (Comando de Material) deals with planning and executing the Air Force's logistics regarding flying and ground materiel. Materiel Command includes "Quilmes" and "Río Cuarto " Materiel Areas (repairing and maintenance units) and "El Palomar" Logistical Area.

Air Regions Command (Comando de Regiones Aéreas) is responsible for the control of air traffic, weather forecasting, aircraft and pilot registration (civilian), accident investigation (both civilian and military) and air communications. It is worth noting that Air Regions Command serves as the national authority regarding air transportation.

Ranks

Officers

Officers wear their rank insignia in their sleeves, in the pattern depicted below. There are also shoulderboards with the same insignia (albeit in gray) for the ranks between Alférez and Comodoro. Brigadiers wear different shoulderboards.

NATO Rank Code	Insignia	Argentinian Rank	Transliteration	US Air Force equivalent
OF-9	Brigadier General	Brigadier General	General
OF-8	Brigadier Mayor	Major Brigadier	Lieutenant General
OF-7	Brigadier	Brigadier	Major General
OF-6				Brigadier General
OF-5	Comodoro	Commodore	Colonel
OF-4	Vicecomodoro	Vice Commodore	Lieutenant Colonel
OF-3	Mayor	Major	Major
OF-2	Capitán	Captain	Captain
OF-1	Primer Teniente	First Lieutenant	First Lieutenant
OF-1	Teniente	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant
OF-D	Alférez	Ensign	no equivalent

Enlisted men and Non-Commissioned Officers

Insignia	Argentinian Rank	Transliteration
Suboficial Mayor	Senior Sub-Officer
Suboficial Principal	Master Sub-Officer
Suboficial Ayudante	Staff Sub-Officer
Suboficial Auxiliar	Assistant Sub-Officer
Cabo Principal	Master Corporal
Cabo Primero	First Corporal
Cabo	Corporal
Voluntario Primero	First Volunteer
Voluntario Segundo	Second Volunteer

Order of battle

1st Air Brigade (El Palomar Military Air Base, Buenos Aires Province)

1st Air Transport Squadron (C-130 Hercules)
2nd Air Transport Squadron (Fokker F-28)
5th Air Transport Squadron (Boeing 707)

2nd Air Brigade (Paraná Military Air Base, Entre Ríos Province)

2nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Learjet 35A)
4th Air Transport Squadron (Fokker F-27)

3rd Air Brigade (Reconquista Military Air Base, Santa Fe Province)

2nd Attack Squadron (IA-58A Pucara)
3rd Attack Squadron (IA-58A Pucara)

4th Air Brigade (El Plumerillo Military Air Base, Mendoza Province)

1st Training Squadron (MS-760 Paris)
2nd Fighter Squadron (IA-63 Pampa)
3rd Search and Rescue Squadron (SA-315B Lama)
4th ´Cruz del Sur´ Acrobatics Squadron (Su-29)
Fighter School

5th Air Brigade (Villa Reynolds Military Air Base, San Luis Province)

1st Fighter-Bomber Squadron (A-4AR Fightinghawk)
2nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron (A-4AR Fightinghawk)

6th Air Brigade (Tandil Military Air Base, Buenos Aires Province, Mirage IIIEA/DA, Mirage 5PA, IAI Dagger)

1st Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Mirage V)
2nd Air Interceptor Squadron (Mirage IIIEA/DA)

7th Air Brigade (Moreno Military Air Base, Buenos Aires Province)

1st Search and Rescue Squadron (Bell 212)
2nd Tactical Squadron (Hughes 500D)
3rd Squadron (UH-1H)
4th Squadron (UH-1H, Hughes 500D)

9th Air Brigade (Comodoro Rivadavia Military Air Base, Chubut Province)

6th Air Transport Squadron (Fokker F-27)
7th Air Transport Squadron (DHC-6 Twin Otter)

Military Aviation School (Cordoba, Córdoba Province)

Glider Flight
Services Squadron
Mentor Squadron (T-34 Mentor)
Tucano Squadron (Embraer EMB-312 Tucano)

Agrupación Aérea Presidencial, Presidential transportation Unit

Chiefs of the Argentine Air Force

Commanders of the Army Military Aviation (1912-1919)

Colonel Arenales Uriburu (1912-1915)
Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro P. Obligado (1915-1919)

Commanders of the Army Aeronautical Service (1919-1927)

Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro P. Obligado (1919-1920)
Colonel Enrique Mosconi (1920-1922)
Lieutenant Colonel Jorge B. Crespo (1923)
Colonel Luis A. Cassinelli (1923-1927)

Commanders of the General Directorate of Aeronautics (1927-1941)

Colonel Luis A. Cassinelli (1927-1929)
Lieutenant Colonel Jorge B. Crespo (1929-1930)
Colonel Angel M. Zuloaga (1941)

Commanders of the First Air Division (1936)

Brigadier General (Army) A. Verdaguer (1936)

Commanders of the Army Air Forces (1936-1939)

Brigadier General (Army) A. Verdaguer (1936-1939)

Commanders of the Army Aviation Command (1938-1944)

Colonel Antonio Parodi (1938-1941)
Colonel Angel M. Zuloaga (1941)
Colonel Pedro Zanni (1941-1942)
Brigadier General (Army) Jorge J. Manni (1942-1944)

Commanders-in-Chief of the Aeronautica (1944)

Brigadier General (Army) Bartolomé de la Colina (1944)

Commanders of the Argentine Air Force (1945-1947)

Brigadier Edmundo Sustaita (1945)
Brigadier General Oscar Muratorio (1945)
Brigadier P. Castex Lainford (1945-1946)
Brigadier General Oscar Muratorio (1946-1947)

Commanders-in-Chief of the Argentine Air Force (1947-1973)

Brigadier General Oscar Muratorio (1947-1951)
Brigadier General Hermansson (1951-1952)
Brigadier General Carlos Mauriño (1952-1955)
Brigadier General Juan Fabri (1955)
Brigadier General Hermansson (1955-1956)
Brigadier General Heriberto Ahrens (1956-1957)
Brigadier General Guillermo Zinny (1957)
Brigadier General Angel A. Peluffo (1957)
Brigadier General Alfredo Vedoya (1957-1958)
Brigadier Miguel Moragues (1958)
Brigadier General Manuel L. Aleman (1958-1960)
Brigadier General Cayo Alsina (1960-1962)
Brigadier General Carlos Armanini (1962-1966)
Brigadier General Adolfo Alvarez (1966-1968)
Brigadier General Martinez Zuviría (1968-1970)
Brigadier General Carlos A. Rey (1970-1973)
Brigadier General Hector Fautario (1973)

General Commanders of the Argentine Air Force (1973-1976)

Brigadier General Hector Fautario (1973-1975)
Brigadier General Orlando R. Agosti (1975-1976)

Commanders-in-Chief of the Argentine Air Force (1976-1983)

Brigadier General Orlando R. Agosti (1976-1979)
Brigadier General Omar Graffigna (1979-1981)
Brigadier General Basilio Lami Dozo (1981-1982)
Brigadier General Augusto Hughes (1982-1983)

Chiefs of the General Staff of the Argentine Air Force (1983-present)

Brigadier General Teodoro Waldner (1983-1985)
Brigadier General Ernesto Crespo (1985-1989)
Brigadier General José A. Julia (1989-1993)
Brigadier General Juan Paulik (1993-1996)
Brigadier General Rubén Montenegro (1996-1999)
Brigadier General Walter Barbero (1999-2003)
Brigadier General Carlos A. Rohde (2003-2005)
Brigadier Eduardo Schiaffino (2005-today)

External links