Argentine Aircraft in the Falklands

During the Falklands campaign, the primary threat to the Royal Navy task force was the Argentine Air Forces' and Navy's attack aircraft. Some of which were based on the Falklands, others on the Argentine mainland. The premier threat coming from the Super Etendard with its ability to carry and launch the Exocet Anti-Ship missile.

Dassault Mirage III
McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
IAI Dagger
BAC Canberra
FMA IA 58 Pucara
Aermacchi M.B.339
Learjet 35A-L
Dassault Super Etendard
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
Exocet Anti-Ship Missile

Dassault Mirage III

French designed strike aircraft

Type	High altitude, all-weather interceptor
Powerplant	One 13,668lb thrust SNECMA Alar9C turbojet
Speed (kmh)	2350 at 12,000m
Range (km)	685km on a low level mission with maximum external fuel
Service Ceiling (m)	17,000
Wingspan ((m)	8.22
Wing Area (m2)	35.0
Length (m)	15.03
Guns	Two DEFA 552A 30mm cannon each with 125 rounds
Bombs etc	8,818lb on five external hard points, can include tactical nuclear weapons and a variety of ordnance
Crew	1

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McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

Type	Carrier borne attack fighter bombers
Powerplant	One 9,300lb dry thrust Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8A turbojet
Speed (kmh)	954 at 34,000ft with a 4,000lb bomb load
Range (km)	3,307 unrefuelled
Service Ceiling (m)	14,935 clean
Wingspan ((m)	8.38
Wing Area (m2)	24.15
Length (m)	12.27 excluding refuelling probe
Guns	Two 20mm Mk 12 cannon with 200 rounds per gun internally
Bombs etc	5,000lb or ordnance, including missiles, cluster bombs and drop tanks carried on five external hard points
Crew	1

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IAI Nesher/Dagger

Israeli designed derivative of the French Mirage III. Locally known as the 'Dagger'

Type	Multi-role fighter
Powerplant	One SNECMA Atar 9C turbojet
Speed (kmh)	March 2.3+
Range (km)	1186 with 4700 litre's of auxiliary fuel in drop tanks plus 2 Air to Air missiles and 2600lb of bombs
Service Ceiling (m)	17,680
Wingspan ((m)	8.22
Wing Area (m2)	34.8
Length (m)	15.65
Guns	Two 30mm IAI/DEFA 552 cannon in the fuselage, with 140 rounds each
Bombs etc	12,730lb of ordnance
Crew	1

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BAC Canberra

British designed bomber, which has fulfilled many role from electronic warfare, to bomber and reconnaissance.

Type	Bomber
Powerplant	Two Rolls-Royce Avon 206 turbojets of 11,250lb st
Speed (kmh)	917 at 12192m
Range (km)	4274
Service Ceiling (m)	14630
Wingspan ((m)	19.49
Wing Area (m2)	9708
Length (m)	19.96
Guns	None
Bombs etc	6000lb
Crew	3

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FMA IA 58 Pucara

Type	Strike aircraft
Powerplant	Two 978shp Turbomeca Astazou XVIG turboprops
Speed (kmh)	500
Range (km)	350 radius of action with full weapon load on hi-lo-hi mission
Service Ceiling (m)	10,000
Wingspan ((m)	14.5
Wing Area (m2)	30.3
Length (m)	14.253
Guns	Four 7.62mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, with 900 and 270 rounds per gun respectively.
Bombs etc	3307lb of ordnance
Crew	2

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Aermacchi M.B.339

Italian built close support aircraft.

Type	Trainer and Close support aircraft
Powerplant	One 400lb dry thrust Piaggio (Rolls-Royce) Viper 632-43 turbojet
Speed (kmh)	925
Range (km)	Combat Radius 593km on a hi-lo-hi mission with maximum war load. Ferry range 2110 km with external fuel
Service Ceiling (m)	14630m
Wingspan ((m)	10.85 over tip tanks
Wing Area (m2)	19.3
Length (m)	10.97
Guns	None internally
Bombs etc	400lb of ordnance on six underwing pylons. Two inboard pylons can carry cannon or Minigun pods, and two center pylons are equipped for carriage of drop tanks
Crew	2

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Learjet 35A-L

The Learjet was used by the Argentines in the Falklands as a Reconnaissance and close support aircraft.

Type	Varied
Powerplant	Two 3500lb thrust Gareett TFE731-2-2B turbofans
Speed (kmh)	872
Range (km)	4,240
Service Ceiling (m)	13,715
Wingspan ((m)	12.04
Wing Area (m2)
Length (m)	14.83
Guns	None
Bombs etc	None
Crew	2 crew and 8 passengers

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Dassault Super Etendard

French designed multi-role fighter.

Type	Carrier borne strike-attack and interceptor fighter
Powerplant	one 11,023lb dry thrust SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet
Speed (kmh)	1180 at low level
Range (km)	850 on a hi-lo-hi mission with one Exocet ad two external tanks
Service Ceiling (m)	13700
Wingspan ((m)	9.6
Wing Area (m2)	28.4
Length (m)	14.31
Guns	Two 30mm DEFA 553 cannon with 125 rounds per gun mounted internally
Bombs etc	4,630 lb of ordnance carried on five external pylons, including Exocet missiles and refuelling pods
Crew	1

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Lockheed C-130 Hercules

Used in the Falklands by the Argentine air force as a makeshift bomber and reconnaissance aircraft as well as a transport.

Powerplant:	4 Allison T56-A-7 turboprops, 4050 hp each
Speed (Kmph):	603 at 6100m
Range (Km):	5470
Service Ceiling (m):	9145
Wingspan (m):	40.41
Wing Area(m2):	162.11
Length (m):	29.79
Guns:	None
Payload etc:	92 passengers or 35700lb freight
Crew:	5

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Beechcraft T-34A & C Mentor

Light trainer used by US Navy and Both the Argentine Air Force and Navy

Type	Basic Training and Light Attack Aircraft
Powerplant	One 715hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25 Turboprop, with 492 litres of fuel
Speed (kmh)	387
Combat Radius with auxiliary fuel and weapons (km)	555
Service Ceiling (m)	9,145
Wingspan ((m)	10.16
Length (m)	8.75
Bombs etc	1,200lb of weapons on four underwing pylons. These can include flares, practice bombs, incendiary bombs, antitank missiles, rocket or gun pods
Crew	2 in tandem

Exocet Anti-Ship Missile

An Air-Launched anti-ship missile, which proved devastatingly effective against H.M.S. Sheffield and other ships in the Royal Navy task force.

Warhead:	165kg Hexolite/steel-block, with a proximity
Length (m):	4.68
Span (m):	1
Body Diameter (m):	0.35
Launch Weight (kg):	650
Range (km)	75 from high level launch

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