Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina) dates its origin to the Military Aviation School founded at El Palomar on 10 August 1912, became an independent service on 4 January 1945, flew Latin America’s first jet fighters, built the Marambio air bridge to Antarctica, fought the British fleet over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) in 1982, and after a decade without supersonic fighters is rebuilding around 24 second-hand Danish F-16s, half of which had arrived by 29 September 2026.
The Argentine Air Force story: Latin America’s first jets, the air bridge to Antarctica, the war over the Falklands (Malvinas) and a decade without fighters
1912–1945: from El Palomar to an independent air force
Argentine military flying began with a decree. On 10 August 1912 President Roque Sáenz Peña signed the order creating the Escuela de Aviación Militar at El Palomar, west of Buenos Aires, and the Air Force still counts that day as its beginning. For three decades aviation belonged to the army: a Directorate General of Aeronautics and the Military Aircraft Factory at Córdoba followed in 1927, and an Aeronautics Command in Chief on 11 February 1944. Independence came on 4 January 1945, when a Secretariat of Aeronautics was created and, in the Air Force’s own history, the service was born “como fuerza armada independiente”. The new service was ambitious. Córdoba built the I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I and I.Ae. 33 Pulqui II jet prototypes, which Wikipedia says made Argentina the sixth country to develop jet-fighter technology on its own, though neither entered series production.
1947–1963: the first jets in Latin America, and bombs on the capital
In May 1947 Argentina ordered 100 Gloster Meteor F.4s, 50 ex-RAF and 50 new, which Wikipedia calls the first jet fighters in Latin America; 30 Avro Lincolns and 15 second-hand Lancasters followed. They were soon turned inward. On 16 June 1955, in a failed attempt to kill President Juan Perón, 30 Naval Aviation aircraft and rebel Air Force Meteors from Morón bombed and strafed the Plaza de Mayo. A police report of 22 June 1955 counted 136 dead; the Archivo Nacional de la Memoria counted 308 in 2010, plus an uncertain number never identified, and about 800 wounded. Loyal Meteors also flew, and Lieutenant Ernesto Adradas shot down a rebel naval AT-6, which the Spanish Wikipedia calls the Air Force’s first aerial victory. Perón fell in the September coup that year. In April 1963 loyal F-86s, Meteors and MS.760s struck a naval revolt.
1952–1973: the air bridge to Antarctica
The Air Force’s most lasting mission began in 1952, when an Avro Lincoln under Vice-Commodore Gustavo A. Marambio flew to Antarctica; Wikipedia adds that C-47s began supply flights the same year. On 3 November 1965, by the Air Force’s account, an Argentine crew flew across the continent to the US base at McMurdo, and in October 1973 Operation Transantar made what Wikipedia calls the first trans-Antarctic flight linking three continents. The enduring achievement is Marambio. Air Force crews levelled a strip on Marambio (Seymour) Island between 30 August and 25 September 1969; on 29 October a Fokker F27 landed on wheels, and the base took the name of the first Antarctic air commander. By April 1970 the runway was 1,200 by 40 metres, and C-130s have flown in since 11 April 1970. In March 2024 a Saab 340 landed there for the first time, and in September 2026 it was still flying the route.
1975–1985: the dictatorship, as the courts recorded it
In late 1975, under Operativo Independencia, Pucarás flew strikes from Córdoba against the ERP guerrillas in Tucumán. On 24 March 1976 the Air Force joined the Army and Navy in seizing power, and its commanders sat in the ruling junta until 1983. The courts later judged them. In the Trial of the Juntas the federal appeals court sentenced Brigadier General Orlando Ramón Agosti to four and a half years on 9 December 1985 and acquitted his successors Omar Graffigna and Basilio Lami Dozo. CONADEP had documented 8,960 forced disappearances. Carlos Menem’s pardons of 1989–1990 were later annulled. The death flights have been attributed by the courts to the Navy, notably in the ESMA verdict of 29 November 2017, and to Army aviation; the sources checked record no such verdict against the Air Force. Spanish Wikipedia records that the Mansión Seré detention centre near Morón operated under Air Force jurisdiction in 1977–1978.
1982: the air war over the Falklands (Malvinas)
On 2 April 1982 Argentina landed on the islands Britain calls the Falkland Islands and Argentina the Islas Malvinas; the UN Security Council’s Resolution 502 of 3 April used “Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)” and demanded withdrawal. The Air Force’s war ran from 1 May to 14 June. Flying from Río Gallegos, San Julián, Comodoro Rivadavia, Río Grande and the island airstrips, at the edge of their range and with two KC-130H tankers for all services, its Skyhawks, Daggers, Mirages, Canberras and Pucarás attacked the fleet and the landings. British and Wikipedia accounts credit Air Force A-4s with sinking HMS Coventry, bombs that later destroyed HMS Antelope, and the 8 June attack on Sir Galahad, where 48 died; Daggers and Navy A-4Qs shared in sinking HMS Ardent. The Air Force says 55 of its men were killed. A British operational research report declassified in 2013, as Wikipedia summarises it, judged the Argentine air arms unbeaten and still viable at the end.
2015–2026: a decade without fighters, then the F-16
Peace brought decline. The A-4s and Daggers were rebuilt, 36 A-4AR Fightinghawks arrived from 1997, but replacement programmes kept failing: Spanish Mirage F1Ms were dropped in 2014 and the Korean FA-50 chosen in 2019 was cancelled in 2020. On 30 November 2015 the last Mirages and Fingers retired, ending supersonic interception. The A-4ARs were grounded after a fatal crash at Villa Reynolds on 15 July 2024 and formally retired on 14 May 2026. The way out was Danish. On 16 April 2024 Argentina signed for 24 F-16A/B MLUs; Denmark handed over the first six on 6 December 2025, Argentine pilots flew their first solos on 3 July 2026, and the second six reached Río Cuarto on 29 September 2026. The money is the weak point: the National Budget Office put 2025 defence spending at 0.28 per cent of GDP, the lowest in four years, and the Hercules fleet is short of engines and serviceable airframes.
The Argentine Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Fuerza Aérea ArgentinaThe name on the official site argentina.gob.ar/fuerzaaerea; abbreviated FAA. Spanish is the only official language
- Founded
- 4 January 1945Independent service with the creation of the Secretariat of Aeronautics. The Air Force dates its origin to the Military Aviation School, decreed on 10 August 1912
- Part of
- Argentine Armed ForcesUnder the Ministry of Defence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Admiral Marcelo Alejandro Dalle Nogare in 2026)
- Headquarters
- Buenos Aires (Edificio Cóndor)The chief was sworn in at the Edificio Cóndor in December 2024
- Chief of the General Staff
- Brig. Gen. Gustavo Javier ValverdeAppointed by Decree 1044/2024 of 26 November 2024
- Minister of Defence
- Lt Gen. Carlos Alberto PrestiIn office since 10 December 2025 (Decree 869/2025)
Strength
- Personnel
- 13,837 military and 6,900 civilians (2018)No newer official total was found. Spanish Wikipedia counts 3,482 women in 2017, about a quarter of the force
- Combat aircraft
-
- F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon — 12 in Argentina at 29 September 2026
24 bought from Denmark, plus one F-16BM Block 10 for ground instruction. The A-4AR was formally retired on 14 May 2026 after being grounded since July 2024
- Light attack and trainers
-
- IA-63 Pampa III — about 11
- T-6C+ Texan II — 12
- EMB-312 Tucano — 12
- Grob G 120TP — 8
- Tecnam P2002 Sierra — 8
- IA-58 Pucará — number not confirmed
Counts are Wikipedia’s; the Pucará’s 2026 status was not confirmed on an official page
- Transport and special mission
-
- C-130H Hercules — 5 (including an inactive L-100)
- KC-130H Hercules — 2
- Saab 340 — 5
- TC-12B Huron — 10
- Learjet 35A — 2
- Embraer ERJ-140 and Boeing 737 — in service
Wikipedia counts; Zona Militar reports several Hercules out of service in February 2026
- Helicopters
-
- Bell 212 and 412 — 13
- MD 500D — 8
- SA 315B Lama — 5
- Bell 407GXi — 1, two more on order
- Mi-171E — bought 2010, number not confirmed
Wikipedia counts
- Defence spending
- 0.28 per cent of GDP (2025)National Budget Office figure for the defence function as reported by Zona Militar, the lowest in four years; 2024 closed with further cuts
Infrastructure
- Air brigades
- NineI to VII, IX and X under the Training and Readiness Command; the X at Río Gallegos was reopened on 7 February 2023
- Military air bases
- FiveMilitary air bases (BAM) listed separately from the brigades on the official organisation chart
- F-16 bases
- Río Cuarto (temporary), Tandil (planned home)The F-16s are at Área Material Río Cuarto for now; the VI Air Brigade at Tandil, named as home in 2024, opened the F-16 maintenance training centre in March 2026
- Antarctica
- MarambioBuilt by the Air Force in 1969; 1,200 by 40 m gravel and permafrost strip used by C-130s since 1970 and by the Saab 340 since 2024
- Fighter groups
- Groups 4, 5 and 6Wikipedia names Fighter Groups 4, 5 and 6, Attack Group 3 and Transport Group 1; Fighter Group 4 flies the Pampa III at Mendoza
How the Argentine Air Force is organised
One General Staff in Buenos Aires over nine air brigades — I to VII, IX and X — five military air bases and the Military Aviation School at Córdoba. The ex-Danish F-16AM/BM, 12 of 24 in Argentina by 29 September 2026, is the only fighter since the A-4AR was retired on 14 May 2026, and it flies from Río Cuarto until its home at Tandil is ready. Pampa IIIs at Mendoza train the fighter pilots, and the ageing Hercules of the I Air Brigade carry the transport and Antarctic load.
General Staff of the Argentine Air Force
One of the three services of the Argentine Armed Forces, under the Ministry of Defence. Brig. Gen. Gustavo Javier Valverde was appointed Chief of the General Staff by Decree 1044/2024 of 26 November 2024 and sworn in at the Edificio Cóndor; the official chart lists nine air brigades, I to VII, IX and X, and five military air bases.
Grupo 6 de Caza, VI Air Brigade
The F-16AM/BM, 24 bought from Denmark under the contract of 16 April 2024: the first six were handed over on 6 December 2025 and the second six reached Río Cuarto on 29 September 2026. Tandil is the designated home, where the CICMA F-16 maintenance school opened on 11 March 2026; the flying aircraft stay at Río Cuarto until the works there are finished.
Grupo 4 de Caza and the III and X Air Brigades
Escuadrón I of Grupo 4 de Caza runs the combat aviator course on the IA-63 Pampa III, whose first solos of the 2026 course were flown on 11 September, and a permanent section of armed Pampa IIIs has been at Río Gallegos since 2022. The III Air Brigade flies modernised Tucanos in place of the Pucará; the V Air Brigade at Villa Reynolds has had no combat aircraft since the A-4AR was retired on 14 May 2026.
I, II and IX Air Brigades
The I Air Brigade flies the C-130H and KC-130H Hercules, airframes built between 1968 and 1979, with several out of service for structure or engines in 2026; the IX Air Brigade’s Escuadrón VI de Transporte flies the Saab 340 on Patagonian routes, and the II Air Brigade trains transport pilots on the TC-12B Huron and Twin Otter.
Marambio and the Escuadrilla Antártica de Vuelo
The Air Force’s wheeled runway to Antarctica since 29 October 1969, supplied by the Hercules since 11 April 1970 and by the Saab 340 since March 2024; Twin Otters returned on 17 April 2026 after accidents in 2019 and 2021. Bell 212, Bell 412 and Mi-171E helicopters are listed as operating from the joint station.
VII Air Brigade and Escuadrón III Búsqueda y Rescate
The VII Air Brigade flies the Bell 412EP and Bell 407GXi, by Zona Militar’s account in March 2026, on the former Mirage IIIEA base of the VIII Air Brigade; Escuadrón III of the IV Air Brigade flies search and rescue and teaches high-mountain helicopter flying.
Military Aviation School
Founded at El Palomar by decree on 10 August 1912, the date the Air Force counts as its beginning, and now at Córdoba, where it runs the one-year basic military pilot course for Air Force, Army and Navy students on the Tecnam P2002, Grob G 120TP and T-6C+ Texan II.
What the Argentine Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Dynamics F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (MLU)In service | Multirole fighter | 12 | 2025 | 12 of 24 in Argentina at 29 September 2026: six handed over on 6 December 2025 and six (four single-seat, two two-seat) arriving at Río Cuarto on 29 September 2026; one extra F-16BM Block 10 is a ground-instruction airframe.
MoreThe single/two-seat split of the whole order is reported differently: 18 and 6 (Zona Militar, 2024) or 16 and 8 (Spanish Wikipedia). |
||
| FMA (FAdeA) IA-63 Pampa IIIIn service | Jet trainer and light attack | 11 | 1988 | Wikipedia counts 11 with four on order; earlier Pampas (18 built in 1988–1990 and six in 2006–2007) have been converted. | ||
| FMA IA-58 PucaráIn service | Counter-insurgency and light attack | 1975 | 110 built in all between 1974 and 1993; about 60 had been delivered by 1982. The number active in 2026 was not confirmed. | |||
| Embraer EMB-312 TucanoIn service | Basic trainer and light attack | 12 | 1987 | 30 bought; Wikipedia counts 12 in service. | ||
| Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan IIIn service | Basic trainer | 12 | 2017 | 12 bought from Textron Aviation. | ||
| Grob G 120TPIn service | Primary trainer | 8 | Wikipedia count. | |||
| Tecnam P2002 SierraIn service | Primary trainer | 8 | Wikipedia count. | |||
| Lockheed C-130H Hercules and L-100In service | Tactical transport | 5 | 1968 | Wikipedia counts five including one L-100. Zona Militar reports TC-61 (the first, 1968) withdrawn for structural reasons and the L-100 TC-100 inactive for years. | ||
| Lockheed KC-130H HerculesIn service | Tanker-transport | 2 | Wikipedia count; two were in service in 1982. | |||
| Saab 340In service | Transport | 5 | 2008 | Wikipedia count. | ||
| Beechcraft TC-12B HuronIn service | Light transport | 10 | Wikipedia count. | |||
| Learjet 35AIn service | Reconnaissance, electronic warfare and photo survey | 2 | Wikipedia: one electronic-warfare and one reconnaissance aircraft. | |||
| Embraer ERJ-140In service | Transport | |||||
| Boeing 737In service | Transport | |||||
| Bell 212 and Bell 412In service | Utility helicopter | 13 | Wikipedia gives 13 for both types together. | |||
| Bell 407GXiIn service | Search and rescue helicopter | 1 | Wikipedia: one in service, two on order. | |||
| MD Helicopters MD 500DIn service | Light helicopter | 8 | Wikipedia count. | |||
| Aérospatiale SA 315B LamaIn service | Liaison helicopter | 5 | Wikipedia count. | |||
| Mil Mi-171EIn service | Transport helicopter | 2010 | Wikipedia lists the type, bought in 2010, without a current count. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Dynamics F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (MLU)On order | 12 | 2025 | 12 of the 24 still to come after the second batch reached Río Cuarto on 29 September 2026; Denmark’s schedule is six a year to 2028. The price was not disclosed by the Danish ministry.
MoreA US$105.6 million AMRAAM contract was announced in September 2026. |
|
| FAdeA IA-63 Pampa IIIOn order | 4 | Wikipedia lists four on order; delivery dates not confirmed. | ||
| Bell 407GXiOn order | 2 | Wikipedia lists two more on order for the Air Force. |
Every type the Argentine Air Force has retired
14 types, from the Gloster Meteor F.4 to the Lockheed Martin A-4AR and OA-4AR Fightinghawk. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin A-4AR and OA-4AR Fightinghawk | Attack aircraft | 36 | 1997–2026 | F-16AM/BM | 36 rebuilt from US Marine Corps A-4Ms; Zona Militar counted about 20 in the inventory in 2024. | |
| Dassault Mirage IIIEA and IIIDA | Interceptor | 19 | 1972–2015 | F-16AM/BM (from 2025) | 17 IIIEA and two IIIDA delivered in 1972–1973; later additions not confirmed in the sources checked. | |
| IAI Dagger and Finger (Nesher) | Fighter-bomber | 39 | 1978–2015 | 26 delivered in 1978 and 13 in 1980 (35 single-seat, four two-seat). | ||
| Dassault Mirage 5P Mara | Fighter-bomber | 10 | 1982–2015 | 10 sold by Peru in 1982. | ||
| English Electric Canberra B.62 and T.64 | Bomber | 12 | 10 B.62 bombers and two T.64 trainers bought in 1967. | |||
| Douglas A-4B (A-4P) and A-4C Skyhawk | Attack aircraft | 75 | 1966–1999 | A-4AR Fightinghawk | 25 A-4Bs in 1966, 25 in 1970 and 25 A-4Cs ordered in 1976. | |
| Gloster Meteor F.4 | Jet fighter | 100 | 1947–1970 | F-86F Sabre | 100 ordered in May 1947: 50 ex-RAF and 50 new. | |
| Avro Lincoln | Heavy bomber | 30 | 1947–1967 | 18 new and 12 ex-RAF. | ||
| Avro Lancaster | Heavy bomber | 15 | 15 second-hand aircraft. | |||
| North American F-86F Sabre | Jet fighter | 1960– | A-4C Skyhawk | |||
| Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris | Jet trainer and light attack | EMB-312 Tucano | ||||
| Douglas C-47 | Transport | 1952– | C-130 Hercules | |||
| Boeing 707 | Strategic transport and reconnaissance | Three flew reconnaissance in 1982. | ||||
| Fokker F27 Friendship and F28 Fellowship | Transport |
Where the Argentine Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases. The brigades run from El Palomar, where military flying began in 1912, to Río Gallegos in Patagonia, and the Air Force also flies to Marambio, its wheeled runway in Antarctica since 1969, in the sector Argentina claims; under the Antarctic Treaty claims are held in abeyance. San Julián and Stanley, the airport Argentina held as Base Aérea Militar Malvinas from 2 April to 14 June 1982, are listed for that war only; the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) is disputed between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
Argentina
2 of the 16 bases above sit outside Argentina, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas bases.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CórdobaMilitary Aviation SchoolCórdoba Province | SACO | Active |
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| Chamical MilitaryLa Rioja Province | SACT | Active | ||
| Comodoro RivadaviaIX Air BrigadeChubut Province | SAVC | Active |
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| El PalomarI Air BrigadeBuenos Aires Province (Greater Buenos Aires) | SADP | Active | 17/352,110 m |
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| Marambio BaseMarambio (Seymour) Island, Antarctic Peninsula (within the sector Argentina claims; claims are held in abeyance under the Antarctic Treaty) | Active | 05/231,200 mfrozen ground |
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| MendozaIV Air Brigade, El PlumerilloMendoza Province | SAME | Active |
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| Morón MilitaryBuenos Aires Province (Greater Buenos Aires) | SADM | Active | ||
| MorenoVII Air BrigadeBuenos Aires Province (José C. Paz) | SADJ | Active |
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| ParanáII Air BrigadeEntre Ríos Province | SAAP | Active |
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| Río CuartoÁrea Material Río CuartoCórdoba Province | SAOC | Active |
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| Río GallegosX Air BrigadeSanta Cruz Province | SAWG | Active |
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| ReconquistaIII Air BrigadeSanta Fe Province | SATR | Active |
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| TandilVI Air BrigadeBuenos Aires Province | SAZT | Active | 01/192,550 m |
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| Villa ReynoldsV Air BrigadeSan Luis Province | SAOR | Active |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Argentine Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. Argentine combat units are groups numbered after their brigade — Grupo 4 de Caza in the IV Air Brigade, Grupo 5 in the V, Grupo 6 in the VI — with squadrons (escuadrones) under them. The 1982 detachments at San Julián and Stanley are listed with their home groups. Where a squadron’s designation was not confirmed from an official source, the entry says so.
- Grupo 6 de Caza (F-16 element)Fighter group · active
- F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (MLU)
- Grupo 6 de Caza (Pampa element)Fighter group (interim trainer equipment) · active
- IA-63 Pampa II
- Grupo 6 de Caza (Dagger and Finger)1978–2015
- IAI Dagger / Finger
- Mirage IIIEA/DA squadron
- Mirage IIIEA/DA
- Gloster Meteor units
- Gloster Meteor F.4
- Escuadrilla Antártica de VueloAntarctic flight · joint
- DHC-6 Twin Otter
- Antarctic helicopter detachmentHelicopter detachment · joint
- Bell 212, Bell 412, Mi-171E
- I Brigada Aérea Hercules squadronTransport and tanker squadron · active
- C-130H Hercules, KC-130H Hercules
- I Brigada Aérea jet transportTransport squadron · active
- Embraer ERJ-140, Fokker F28 Fellowship
- Escuadrón Aeromóvil F-16Fighter squadron (detached) · active
- F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon (MLU)
- Grupo 5 de Caza1966–2026
- A-4B (A-4P) Skyhawk, A-4C Skyhawk, A-4AR Fightinghawk
- Grupo 4 de Caza, Escuadrón IFighter training squadron · active
- IA-63 Pampa III
- Escuadrón III Búsqueda y Rescate y Tareas EspecialesSearch and rescue helicopter squadron · active
- Bell 407GXi
- II Brigada Aérea transport trainingTransport and training · active
- Beechcraft TC-12B Huron, DHC-6 Twin Otter
- Grupo 2 de Bombardeo
- English Electric Canberra B.62/T.64
- III Brigada Aérea Tucano squadronLight attack and training · active
- EMB-312 Tucano (modernised)
- Grupo 3 de Ataque
- FMA IA-58 Pucará
- VII Brigada Aérea helicopter squadronsHelicopter wing · active
- Bell 412EP, Bell 407GXi
- Grupo 8 de Caza (VIII Brigada Aérea)1972–
- Mirage IIIEA/DA
- Escuadrón VI de TransporteTransport squadron · active
- Saab 340B
- Pampa III sectionLight attack detachment · active
- IA-63 Pampa III
- X Brigada Aérea Twin Otter elementLight transport · active
- DHC-6 Twin Otter
- Escuela de Aviación MilitarFlying training school · active
- Tecnam P2002 Sierra, Grob G 120TP, Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan II
No unit matches that search.
Argentine Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
10 August: President Roque Sáenz Peña decrees the Escuela de Aviación Militar at El Palomar.
4 January: the Air Force becomes an independent service with the Secretariat of Aeronautics.
May: 100 Gloster Meteor F.4s ordered; deliveries from July. Lincolns and Lancasters follow.
An Avro Lincoln under Vice-Commodore Gustavo A. Marambio flies to Antarctica.
16 June: Plaza de Mayo bombed by naval and rebel Air Force aircraft; a loyal Meteor scores the Air Force’s first aerial victory. September: Perón overthrown.
April: loyal F-86s, Meteors and MS.760s strike the naval revolt.
First 25 A-4B Skyhawks delivered.
29 October: Marambio opens with the first wheeled landing in Antarctica, by a Fokker F27.
Mirage IIIEA interceptors delivered (17 plus two IIIDA by 1973).
May: first Pucarás delivered. Late 1975: Pucará strikes in Tucumán under Operativo Independencia.
24 March: the Air Force joins the coup; its commanders sit in the junta until 1983.
1 May–14 June: air war over the Falklands (Malvinas); the Air Force records 55 dead.
9 December: Trial of the Juntas; Brig. Gen. Orlando Agosti sentenced to four and a half years.
First A-4AR Fightinghawks, rebuilt from US Marine Corps A-4Ms.
30 November: the last Mirages and Fingers retire; supersonic interception ends.
16 April: contract for 24 ex-Danish F-16s. 15 July: fatal A-4AR crash at Villa Reynolds grounds the fleet.
6 December: Denmark hands over the first six F-16s.
11 March: F-16 maintenance school opens at Tandil. 14 May: A-4AR formally retired. 3 July: first Argentine F-16 solos. 29 September: second six F-16s reach Río Cuarto.
Every war and armed action of the Argentine Air Force
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The 1951 and 1955 coup attempts and the bombing of the Plaza de Mayo 1951–1955 Rebel Air Force aircraft joined Naval Aviation in bombing the Plaza de Mayo on 16 June 1955; loyal Meteors fought them
- Azules and Colorados and the 1963 naval revolt 1962–1963 Loyal aircraft attacked rebel positions in September 1962 and struck the naval revolt in April 1963
- Operativo Independencia 1975 Pucarás flew counter-insurgency strikes from Córdoba against the ERP guerrillas
- Falklands War (Guerra de Malvinas) 1982 Attacked the British fleet and landing forces from mainland bases and the islands; flew transport, tanker and reconnaissance missions
- United Nations peacekeeping 1994– Provided personnel to the UN force in Cyprus from 1994 and Bell 212 helicopters in Haiti from 2005
The Argentine Air Force display team
Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.
Argentine Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Argentine Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Argentine Air Force
What is the Argentine Air Force called in Spanish?
What fighter jets does the Argentine Air Force fly in 2026?
Why did Argentina buy F-16s from Denmark?
Did Argentina really have no fighter jets for ten years?
What did the Argentine Air Force do in the Falklands War (Guerra de Malvinas)?
How many aircraft did the Argentine Air Force lose in 1982?
What is Marambio Base?
Did the Air Force take part in the 1955 bombing of the Plaza de Mayo?
What role did the Air Force play in the 1976–1983 dictatorship?
Who commands the Argentine Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Argentine Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Fuerza Aérea Argentina: official site (argentina.gob.ar/fuerzaaerea)Official name Fuerza Aérea Argentina; Chief of the General Staff Brigadier General Gustavo Javier Valverde; news list to September 2026.
- Fuerza Aérea Argentina: Nuestra historiaOfficial history: 10 August 1912 decree creating the Escuela de Aviación Militar at El Palomar; 1927 Dirección General de Aeronáutica and Fábrica Militar de Aviones; 11 February 1944 Comando en Jefe de Aeronáutica; 4 January 1945 independence; 1952 Lincoln Antarctic flight under Vice-Commodore Gustavo A. Marambio; 1961 Base Aérea Teniente Benjamín Matienzo; 3 November 1965 flight to McMurdo; Marambio built 30 August to 25 September 1969, inaugurated 29 October 1969; 1982: 2 April, 1 May baptism of fire, 14 June end, 55 Air Force men killed.
- Fuerza Aérea Argentina: Autoridades y organigramaChief Brig. Gen. Gustavo Javier Valverde; deputy Brig. Marcelo José Monetto; Training and Readiness Command (air brigades I to VII, IX and X, five military air bases) and Matériel Command.
- Fuerza Aérea Argentina: NoticiasNews index read on 1 October 2026: F-16 maintenance centre (March 2026), first F-16 solo (July 2026), Colombia relief (August 2026), Saab 340 in Antarctica and Pampa III solos (September 2026).
- Argentina.gob.ar: El sistema de armas F-16 realizó su primer Vuelo Solo (14 July 2026)First solo F-16 flights by Argentine pilots on 3 July 2026 at Área Material Río Cuarto under the Peace Cóndor programme; pilots trained in the United States.
- Argentina.gob.ar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina inauguró el Centro de Instrucción y Capacitación de Mantenimiento de F-16 (March 2026)CICMA F-16 opened on 11 March 2026 at the VI Air Brigade, Tandil, with simulators and training areas.
- Argentina.gob.ar: Vuelo Solo de IA-63 Pampa III y Bell 407 GXI en la IV Brigada Aérea (September 2026)Solos on 11 September 2026 at the IV Air Brigade: Escuadrón I IA-63 Pampa III and Escuadrón III Búsqueda y Rescate (Bell 407GXi), Fighter Group 4.
- Argentina.gob.ar: El Saab 340 continúa uniendo el continente blanco (7 September 2026)Saab 340 of Escuadrón VI de Transporte, IX Air Brigade (Comodoro Rivadavia), three crossings to Marambio; first Saab 340 landing at Marambio in March 2024; type acquired in 2008.
- Argentina.gob.ar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina desplegó dos aeronaves para brindar asistencia a Colombia (August 2026)A C-130 Hercules and an Embraer ERJ-140 flew relief to Colombia on 18 August 2026 after the earthquake of 10 August.
- Ministerio de Defensa (argentina.gob.ar/defensa)Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Presti since 10 December 2025 (Decree 869/2025).
- Forsvarsministeriet (Denmark): handover of the first F-16s to Argentina (6 December 2025)First six of 24 F-16s handed over on 6 December 2025; six a year to 2028; price not disclosed.
- Zona Militar: Con la compra de los F-16A/B MLU a Dinamarca, la Fuerza Aérea Argentina recupera capacidades (16 April 2024)Signed 16 April 2024; 24 F-16A/B MLU (given as 18 single-seat and six two-seat); AMRAAM and targeting pods; VI Air Brigade Tandil as home.
- Zona Militar: 12 de 24, la Fuerza Aérea Argentina completó la mitad de su flota de F-16 (29 September 2026)Second batch of six (four single-seat, two two-seat) reached Área Material Río Cuarto on 29 September 2026; 12 of 24 in the country plus one instructional airframe; ferry via Zaragoza, Gran Canaria and Natal with USAF KC-135R tanking; US$105.6 million AMRAAM contract announced.
- Zona Militar: Brigadier General Gustavo Valverde: el futuro de la Fuerza Aérea Argentina es el sistema de armas F-16 (29 September 2026)An extra F-16BM Block 10 for ground instruction; milestones 2024 contract, first six late 2025, second six September 2026.
- Zona Militar: Futuros pilotos de cazas F-16 de la Fuerza Aérea Argentina realizaron entrenamientos en condiciones hipobáricas (21 July 2025)Headline only: F-16 pilot candidates in hypobaric training, July 2025.
- Zona Militar: Los cazabombarderos A-4AR Fightinghawk continuarán en tierra hasta nuevo aviso (4 September 2024)A-4AR crash on take-off at Villa Reynolds on 15 July 2024, Captain Mauro Testa La Rosa killed; fleet grounded; about 20 A-4AR in the inventory.
- Zona Militar: ¿Una nueva vida para los Fightinghawk? La Fuerza Aérea Argentina iniciará el proceso de enajenación de sus cazas A-4AR dados de baja (16 May 2026)Retired A-4ARs to be catalogued and offered for sale; US approval needed; no offers recorded.
- Zona Militar: El futuro de los cazabombarderos A-4AR: entre dudas, certezas e incertidumbre (19 February 2026)Headline and summary: almost two years after the last flight the A-4AR fleet’s future was undecided.
- Zona Militar: El incidente del C-130H TC-66 expone la crítica situación de la flota de transporte (18 February 2026)TC-66 engine problem on 17 February 2026; TC-61 (first Hercules, 1968) out of service; L-100 TC-100 inactive; TC-60 received from the US; maintenance contracts of December 2025 over US$19 million; US offer of 12 T56 engines in 2024 not taken up.
- Zona Militar: EE.UU. propone la transferencia de motores T-56-A-15 para los C/KC-130H Hércules (27 October 2024)Headline: US proposal to transfer T56-A-15 engines.
- Zona Militar: Reporte del gobierno argentino confirma que el gasto de defensa en el 2025 fue del 0,28% del PBI (6 April 2026)National Budget Office: Defence function 0.28 per cent of GDP in 2025, lowest in four years; Air Force activity cut by fuel costs and financial difficulties.
- Zona Militar: El año 2024 cerró con nuevos recortes al presupuesto de las Fuerzas Armadas argentinas (10 February 2025)Headline: 2024 closed with further cuts to the armed forces budget.
- Zona Militar: El gobierno argentino incrementa el presupuesto de Defensa y las Fuerzas Armadas para el periodo 2024 (10 July 2024)Headline: Decree 594/2024 budget modification increasing defence credits.
- Zona Militar: Un IA-58 Pucará brindó apoyo durante una ejercitación en la Base Aérea Militar Chamical (22 April 2023)Pucará still flying in 2023.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina amplió el contrato para la modernización de los IA-58 Pucará (7 July 2023)Headline: Pucará modernisation contract extended.
- Argentina.gob.ar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina cumplió 114 años de vida (August 2026)Anniversary ceremony at Base Aérea Militar Morón on 10 August 2026; flypast types; Minister Presti and Brig. Gen. Valverde.
- Ministerio de Transporte: Aeródromos, lista y detalle (datos.transporte.gob.ar, updated 12 April 2023)Official open dataset (CC BY 4.0): reference-point coordinates and elevations used for SAZT, SAWG, SAVC, SADJ, SACT and SACO; aerodrome names.
- Fundación Marambio: Base Antártica MarambioPosition given as 64°14’S 56°38’W, Marambio Island, Weddell Sea.
- Zona Militar: Así se prepara la VI Brigada Aérea de Tandil para recibir y operar a los futuros cazas F-16AM/BM (7 June 2025)Runway 01/19, 2,550 m, arrester system (possibly BAK-12); hangars, taxiways, aprons; instruction centre with DART simulator; 1960s infrastructure; historic types Meteor, Mirage IIIEA, Dagger, Finger; Pampa since 2015.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina presentó oficialmente a su primer caza F-16BM en la VI Brigada Aérea de Tandil (24 February 2025)F-16BM Block 10 number 25 for ground instruction; Minister Petri’s remarks; operational aircraft to start at Río Cuarto.
- Zona Militar: Informe N.º 142 de la Jefatura de Gabinete, la Fuerza Aérea Argentina prevé el despliegue de sus cazas F-16 en la Patagonia (17 April 2025)Government report to Congress: Tandil the future home; Río Cuarto interim with a 2,260 m runway repaved; Río Gallegos a future deployment site, brigade restored in 2023.
- Zona Militar: Conociendo al Área Material Río Cuarto, la primera morada de los cazas F-16 (3 December 2025)Founded 10 August 1944 as Taller Regional Río IV at Las Higueras; types maintained; F-16 works.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina despliega un helicóptero Bell 412EP en apoyo a las operaciones de los F-16 en Río Cuarto (9 May 2026)SAR cover for the Escuadrón Aeromóvil F-16; mechanics from the Escuela de Aviación Militar and the VII Air Brigade, Moreno.
- Zona Militar: Estos son los medios aéreos con los que opera la Fuerza Aérea Argentina en 2025 y 2026 (29 March 2026)Types by brigade, drawing on the National Budget Office: K/C-130H (1968–1979) and Embraer and F28 at the I Air Brigade; Tucano at the III; T-6C+ at the Military Aviation School; Saab 340 at the IX; Bell 412EP and 407GXi at the VII; A-4AR at the V.
- Zona Militar: Con la baja de los A-4AR Fightinghawk, la “Cuna de Halcones” se prepara para iniciar una nueva etapa (16 May 2026)Villa Reynolds: aerodrome 1922, BAM Coronel Pringles 1938, brigade 1949; Lincoln and Lancaster; A-4B from October 1966; 10 A-4Bs and 9 pilots lost in 1982; A-4C 1983; A-4AR from December 1997.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina anunció el retiro de sus cazabombarderos A-4AR Fightinghawk (14 May 2026)Headline and date only: official announcement of the A-4AR’s retirement.
- Zona Militar: Con la baja de los A-4AR, la Fuerza Aérea Argentina analiza redistribuir aeronaves hacia la V Brigada Aérea (18 May 2026)Precedents: Pampa II to the VI Air Brigade after the 2015 Mirage retirement; Tucanos to the III Air Brigade after the Pucará was withdrawn.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina vuelve a operar en la Antártida con sus aviones DHC-6 Twin Otter (20 April 2026)T-85 at Marambio on 17 April 2026 with crew names; Twin Otters in service since November 1968; T-82 accident August 2019; T-87 damage February 2021.
- Zona Militar: 50.º aniversario de la Base Marambio (29 October 2019)23 Air Force men built the strip; C-47 TA-05 and F27 landings on 29 October 1969; aircraft operating there; population 70 winter and 170 summer; science programmes.
- Zona Militar: El Hércules TC-66 de la Fuerza Aérea Argentina transportó un Bell 212 a la Base Antártica Conjunta Marambio (14 November 2023)Headline and date only.
- Zona Militar: La Brigada Mecanizada XI y la X Brigada Aérea realizaron un adiestramiento operacional con Twin Otter (30 March 2024)Twin Otter cargo drops on 22 March 2024.
- Zona Militar: Proyectos 2023, consolidar el despliegue de las Fuerzas Armadas en la Patagonia (15 January 2023)Permanent armed Pampa III section at Río Gallegos confirmed in 2022; Twin Otters there since February 2022; plan to restore the brigade.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina conmemora el 42.º aniversario del Bautismo de Fuego en la I Brigada Aérea (1 May 2024)Ceremony at El Palomar; Air Force figures for 1 May 1982 (76 sorties) and the 14 men killed that day, including Lieutenants Ardiles and Jukic.
- Zona Militar: Malvinas 40 años, es derribado el Hércules C-130 TC-63 (1 June 2022)1 June 1982: times, Sea Harrier of 801 NAS flown by Lt Cdr Nigel Ward, seven crew named.
- Zona Militar: Malvinas 40 años, así fue la Operación ARIES 82 (2 April 2022)2 April 1982: C-130s TC-68, TC-63, TC-64 and TC-65 and four F28s (LITRO 1 to 8); IX Air Brigade as nerve centre.
- Zona Militar: Malvinas 40 años, Bautismo de Fuego de la artillería antiaérea (1 May 2022)Vulcan XM607 at about 04:40 with 21 bombs; air defence group not cleared to fire; nine Sea Harriers of 800 NAS attacked later; the name BAM Malvinas.
- Zona Militar: Argentina despliega un Hércules C-130H para enviar ayuda humanitaria a Bolivia (16 May 2026)Headline and date only.
- Zona Militar: Argentina desplegó su primer escalón humanitario hacia Venezuela: 26 efectivos y cuatro binomios caninos partieron desde El Palomar (26 June 2026)Headline and date only.
- Zona Militar: Crónica de una muerte anunciada, la incertidumbre sobre el futuro de la flota de TC-12B Huron (27 August 2026)Hurons concentrated at the II Air Brigade, Paraná; six received of twelve planned; Twin Otters for LADE and the CEPAT course.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina egresó a 25 nuevos pilotos de transporte (26 December 2023)Headline and date only: 25 transport pilots graduated at the II Air Brigade.
- Zona Militar: La III Brigada Aérea de la FAA incorporó un nuevo EMB-312 Tucano modernizado (17 January 2023)Headline and date only.
- Zona Militar: Futuros aviadores de las Fuerzas Armadas argentinas completaron su primer vuelo solo (8 July 2025)Escuela de Aviación Militar, 7 July 2025: Curso Básico Conjunto de Piloto Militar on Tecnam P2002, Grob 120TP and T-6C.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina inauguró en la IV Brigada Aérea su nuevo simulador FTD para aeronaves IA-63 Pampa III (6 October 2024)Headline and date only.
- Zona Militar: Atlantic Dagger 2026, Fuerzas de Operaciones Especiales de Argentina y EE.UU. continúan el ejercicio combinado en Moreno y Baterías (28 May 2026)Headline and date only.
- Zona Militar: La Fuerza Aérea Argentina celebró su 111.º aniversario en la Base Aérea Militar Morón (10 August 2023)Headline and date only.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert M. Trujillo / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Ken Griffiths / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Carlos E. Perez S.L / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Loucozade / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: kitmasterbloke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Markus Eigenheer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Aeroprints.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Chme82 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: VynedJ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Chris Lofting / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Tech. Sgt. Jason Lake / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Royal Air Force Lancaster. The wub / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: D. Miller from MI. USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: EcoVictor / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Embajada de EEUU en Argentina / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Ken Fielding / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Peter Nath / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)