Argentine Navy and Army Images:

[vikingBerserker]

I have to 2nd Matt's take on that!

 

[parsifal]

That is correct, but the problem with them is the aircraft itself, the performances compared with a true fighter are poor (subsonics, rate of climb, etc) and the lack of medium range misiles like the Sparrow or skyflash. In the other hand the A-4ar is a neat strike aircraft wich have in his arsenal some stand off weapons like the GPS guided Dardo (dart) bomb and the laser guided missile AS-25, it has a good choice for defensive measures in an agressive electronic enviroment. The argentine Air Force is pretty confident that with the proper penetration tactics this aircraft could achieve every strike mission given against any possible enemy in the worst possible scenario on the south american continent... you simply cant ask for more of it.

We only ever needed to use our A-4s as Fleet Defence craft against Soviet LR Aviation....TU-95 Bears mostly. Fighter v Fighter there is no hope against anything better than a MiG-17. But the kindss of strike aircraft wwe were expected to fight (luckily it never was tested) could have been handled by A-4s.....bombers killing bombers essentially.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff Charles!

 

[CharlesBronson]

Holy $hit!

The original version of this video was the first 18 secs, many people simply dont believe that so I had to include the last 6 seconds of the image showing the damage done by the combined force of the 2 Super Etendars to the airfield.

Granted.. there was some issues with the maintenance of the airfield, but the vid shows clearly you never can get too confident with a jet blast. The incident happened in october 2011 in Comandante Espora Navy Air Base, few kilometer outside the city of Bahia Blanca in the Province of Buenos Aires.

 

[vikingBerserker]

That really was amazing, thanks for posting!

 

[Matt308]

The concrete construction looks far below thickness grade for military (or civilian) application in the US and the western world. But holy cow that was dramatic.

 

[CharlesBronson]

The concrete construction looks far below thickness grade for military (or civilian) application in the US and the western world. But holy cow that was dramatic.

I dont know the exact details but seems like a patched area of the airfield, in any case a poor work.

The russians came.

Images of the first bath of Mil Mi-17E Helicopters for the VII Air Brigade arrive in 30th november 2011 (to replace Bell 212), now I dont have any against the russians, but I am not really sure if this is a good choice, those are new helos with search radar flir and others but I would prefer the competitor wich was Eurocopter Cougar.

 

[nuuumannn]

And I explain and explained that to everybody with ears wich want to hear me, is a tactical aircraft with a very limited air-toair capabilities.

Easy Tiger. My ears work fine, by the way, as do my eyes; I just wanted to emphasise that despite its limited air air capabilities the A-4 took some beating manoeuvring at low level against better endowed fighters.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I think the Isreali's made good use of them in this way as well.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Easy Tiger. My ears work fine, by the way, as do my eyes; I just wanted to emphasise that despite its limited air air capabilities the A-4 took some beating manoeuvring at low level against better endowed fighters.

Uh ? I wasnt talking about yourself, I was talking about a coffe chat with anybody interested in aviation issues.

I think the Isreali's made good use of them in this way as well.

Hmm, yea but the israelis have a lot of experience with russian materiel, they keep caturing those since 1950s.

 

[vikingBerserker]

They kinda look like Sea Kings to me, I wonder if they are as good.

 

[tomo pauk]

Mi-8 is/was perhaps the most spread cargo/multirole helicopter in the world; the latest versions finally feature a proper rear ramp and decent avionics. We've bought some for Croatian AF.
The werstern choppers might be better choice, but I reckon two Mi-8s can be bought for 1 Cougar.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Mi-8 is/was perhaps the most spread cargo/multirole helicopter in the world; the latest versions finally feature a proper rear ramp and decent avionics. We've bought some for Croatian AF.
The werstern choppers might be better choice, but I reckon two Mi-8s can be bought for 1 Cougar.

For what I ve seen in the price tag papers published in argentine aviation forums the relation is more like 2.4 to one, the difference it simply is too much money, since the Air Force VIIth Brigade will going to use this type mostly in the Patagonia and Antartic territories I think they were like "well... in Russia there is a lot of cold, ice and snow, it should work here too"

 

[tomo pauk]

IIRC the 'thing' above the sliding doors in the cabin heater? It was before mounted in lower position, but it was relocated in order to make space for the door, that is wider than the one at the opposite side.

If it's any comfort for you, the choppers from Croatian AF suffered only one loss in last 20 years, and that one because the example was reworked in a VIP variant, and a lousy job was made, according to the investigators. During the war 1991-95 we did not suffer any loss what so ever.

 

[Glider]

Mi8 and Mi 17 have always been very good at high altitude and its for that reason the Indian and Pakistani airforces use them. They may not be as sophisticated as the lastest designs, but they do what they are designed to do, at a low cost and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Sometimes the simplest designs are the best.

 

[Matt308]

Mi8 and Mi 17 have always been very good at high altitude and its for that reason the Indian and Pakistani airforces use them. They may not be as sophisticated as the lastest designs, but they do what they are designed to do, at a low cost and there is nothing wrong with that.

Amen. I do believe that they are now manufacturing and selling Mi-117s with upgraded western avionics and turbine engines.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Amen. I do believe that they are now manufacturing and selling Mi-117s with upgraded western avionics and turbine engines.

Apparently this ones got some French avionics, the search radar is a french Thales.

Any gun lover here ? Argentinian CITER F3 155mm Howitzer. Is not the most modern but the most widespread artillery piece in the army. Manufactured in the state Arsenal of Rio tercero, Cordoba. This howitzer is also used by the Croatian army.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Now that would be fun!

 

[CharlesBronson]

Matra Pb-400, french made parachute drag bombs: