Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2017) |
A-4AR Fightinghawk | |
---|---|
An A-4AR during Air Fest 2010 | |
Role | Ground attack fighter |
Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA
|
First flight | December 1997 |
Introduction | December 1997 |
Status | In service |
Primary user | Argentine Air Force |
Produced | 1996–1999 |
Number built | 36 converted |
Developed from | A-4M Skyhawk
|
The Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk is a major upgrade of the McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk attack aircraft developed for the Argentine Air Force which entered service in 1998. The program was named Fightinghawk in recognition of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which was the source of its new avionics.
Design and development
Background
The Falklands War in 1982 took a heavy toll on the Argentine Air Force, which lost over 60 aircraft.[citation needed]
The supply of modern combat aircraft had been restricted since the United States had imposed an
In 1989,
In 1994, the United States made a counteroffer to modernize 36 former
Production
Argentine Air Force technicians chose 32 A-4M (built between 1970/1976)
- Complete overhaul of the airframe, wiring looms and the Pratt & Whitney J52P-408A engine
- Installation of Douglas Escapac 1-G3 ejection seats
- HGU-55/P helmets
- Honeywell Normal Air-Garrett's OBOGS (On Board Oxygen Generation System)
- Westinghouse/Northrop Grumman AN/APG-66V2(ARG-1) radar
- HOTAS controls and a 'glass' cockpit (2 CRT color screens)
- Sextant Avionique/Thales Avionics SHUD
- Litton/Northrop Grumman LN-100G inertial navigation system
- MIL-STD-1553B data bus
- Two General Dynamics Information Systems AN/AYK-14 mission computers
- Northrop Grumman AN/ALR-93 (V)1 Radar warning receiver
- AN/ALQ-126B jammer
- AN/ALQ-162 jammer
- ALR-47 chaff/flare dispenser
- AN/APX-72 IFF
The A-4Ms were equipped with the TV and laser spot tracker Hughes AN/ASB-19 Angle Rate Bombing System, but this was removed after the conversion into A-4ARs, as the radar could provide the same data.[citation needed]
The contract stipulated that 8 airframes would be refurbished at the Lockheed-Martin Plant in
Operational history
The Fightinghawks, having received Air Force serials C-901 to C-936, saw their first group arrive in Argentina on 18 December 1997 and the first "Argentine" A-4AR was rolled out on 3 August 1998 at Cordoba. The last one, number 936, was delivered to the Air Force in March 2000. Two aircraft (a one-seat and a two-seat) remained some time in the United States for weapons
In September 1998, just months after their arrival and again in April 2001, United States Air Force
In November 2005 they were deployed to
In July 2006 they were deployed to
In June 2008 they were deployed to
In August 2009 they were deployed to
On 1 May 2010 they participated in the Air Fest 2010 show at
In August 2010, the aircraft enforced a no-fly zone at San Juan for the Mercosur's Presidents Summit. On September they joined the rest of the air force aircraft at Reconquista, Santa Fe for the ICARO III integration manoeuvers.[11] On November they deployed to Tandil airbase for the XX Ibero-American Summit held at Mar del Plata.[citation needed]
In January 2016, Argentine Minister of Defence Julio Martinez confirmed that all Air Force Lockheed Martin A-4AR Skyhawk (Fightinghawk) fighters were grounded. Originally this was due to the expiry of the explosive cartridges in their ejection seats, but later it became apparent that there were additional problems.[12] Only 4-5 were found airworthy with the rest in storage at Villa Reynolds.[13]
In May 2017, they participated in the celebrations of the 2017 anniversary of the May Revolution.[14]
By 2020, as few as six of the aircraft were still reported as operational.[15] In March 2024, Argentina signed a letter of intent with Denmark to acquire 24 used F-16 fighter aircraft as likely replacements for its Fightinghawks.[16]
Variants
- A-4AR
- 32 converted from A-4Ms
- OA-4AR
- 4 converted from TA-4Fs
Operators
- Argentine Air Force – 36 received (32 A-4AR, 4 OA-4AR); as few as 6 reported operational in 2020;[17] operational availability reported in 2022 at perhaps 15-20% of 23 aircraft[18]
Accidents
As of August 2020[update] four of the type have been lost in 20 years of service:
- 6 July 2005: A-4AR registration C-906 near Justo Daract, San Luis Province, pilot Lt Horacio Martín Flores (29 years old) died.[19]
- 24 August 2005: A-4AR registration C-936 near Río Cuarto, Cordoba, pilot ejected safely.[20]
- 14 February 2013: OA-4AR registration C-902 crashed on landing at Angel Aragonés airport near Santiago del Estero, both pilots ejected safely.[21]
- 5 August 2020: A-4AR registration C-925 near Villa Reynolds, San Luís, pilot Cpt Gonzalo Fabián Britos Venturini ejected but was found dead.[22]
Specifications (A-4AR Fightinghawk)
Data from FAA Official site and
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 (2 in OA-4AR)
- Length: 12.30 m (40 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 8.38 m (27 ft 6 in)
- Height: 4.57 m (14 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 24.15 m2 (259 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 4,900 kg (10,803 lb)
- Gross weight: 11,000 kg (24,251 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 11,136 kg (24,500 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408A turbojet, 50.0 kN (11,200 lbf) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,080 km/h (671 mph, 583 kn)
- Range: 3,220 km (2,000 mi, 1,700 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 12,880 m (42,250 ft)
- Rate of climb: 43 m/s (8,440 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 344.4 kg/m2 (70.7 lb/sq ft)
- Thrust/weight: 0.51
Armament
- Guns: 2× 20 mm (0.787 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon, 100 rounds/gun
- Missiles:
- Bombs: 9,900 lb (4,490 kg) on five external hardpoints
See also
Related development
- A-4 Skyhawk
- A-4SU Super Skyhawk
- Project Kahu
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- A-7 Corsair II
- AV-8B Harrier II
- Sea Harrier
- Mirage F1
Related lists
- List of attack aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the United States
References
- ^ backing the Humphrey-Kennedy amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1976, the Carter administration placed an embargo on the sale of arms and spare parts to Argentina and on the training of its military personnel
- ^ ... represents our recognition of the importance of Argentina's leadership and cooperation in the field ofinternational peacekeeping, notably during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, in Haiti, in its role in supervising the peace between Peru and Ecuador, and in nearly a dozen other international peacekeeping efforts ...
- ^ Back at the hands of the state
- ^ (in Spanish)Ministerio de Defensa – República Argentina Archived 2012-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Six A-4M batches Serials Archived 31 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Skyhawk Production History". Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009. C-905 = 159472, C-906 = 158161, C-907 = 158167, C-908 = 158178 C-909 = 158419, C-910 = 158193, C-911 = 158429, C-912 = 159471 C-913 = 159493, C-914 = 159778, C-915 = 159780, C-916 = 160029 C-917 = 158164, C-918 = 158423, C-919 = 158171, C-920 = 158426 C-921 = 159475, C-922 = 160045, C-923 = 159470, C-924 = 160025 C-925 = 158413, C-926 = 160032, C-927 = 160035, C-928 = 160039 C-929 = 160040, C-930 = 160042, C-931 = 160043, C-932 = 159478 C-933 = 159483, C-934 = 159486, C-935 = 159487, C-936 = 159783
- ^ Two seats C-901 BuNo 154328, C-902 BuNo 154294, C-903 BuNo 154651 & C-904 BuNo 153531 are TA-4F built airframes later converted to the OA-4M variant. On the contrary the single seats were originally built as A-4M Archived 30 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- '^ ejercicio pre salitre 2009 FAA site Archived 18 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ""Airman Culture" key to exercise SALITRE success". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- '^ A-AR volando en el cielo del Bicentenario Perfil Blogs Archived 29 May 2010 at archive.today
- ^ FUERZA AÉREA REALIZA EJERCICIO ICARO III Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Porfilio, Gabriel (28 January 2016). "Argentinian MoD confirms all fighters grounded". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ Aguilera, Edgardo (27 January 2016). "No queremos una Armada que no navegue ni una Fuerza Aérea que no vuele". Diario Ambito Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ "Veteranos de Malvinas fueron ovacionados durante el desfile por el aniversario del 25 de Mayo". telam.com.ar. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Argentine A-4AR fighter jet crashes near Cordoba, pilot dead". 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Denmark Signs Letter Of Intent For F-16 Sale To Argentina". Aviation Week. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Argentine A-4AR fighter jet crashes near Cordoba, pilot dead". 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Le remplacement des A-4AR Fightinghawk argentins plus que jamais d'actualité !". 16 November 2022.
- ^ "Accidentes aéreos en San Luis" Archived 27 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
- ^ "Se estrelló un A-4AR de la FAA" Archived 7 November 2005 at archive.today (in Spanish)
- ^ "Milagro en Santiago del Estero tras la caída de un avión de la Fuerza Aérea" (in Spanish). 14 February 2013. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ "Murió un piloto tras eyectarse de un avión de combate de la Fuerza Aérea" (in Spanish). 5 August 2020.
- ^ "A4 AR Fightinghawk". 21 February 2012.
- ^ "Proyecto Pragmalia: 117. Fabricación de Coheteras Mamboreta ARM 657A". 25 June 2009.
- Rivas, Santiago (January 2012). "Argentina's Fightinghawks". ISSN 0306-5634.
External links
- (in Spanish) Argentine Air Force
- (in Spanish) Aerospacio Magazine El programa A-4AR avanza
- (in Spanish) Aerospacio Magazine Halcones al Sur, llegan los A-4AR
- (in Spanish) La Nacion newspaper 1997 Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Nuevos aviones para la Fuerza Aérea
- (in Spanish) La Nacion newspaper 1998 Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ejercicio militar con los EE.UU
- (in Spanish) La Nacion newspaper 1998 Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Aviones argentinos interceptarán aeronaves norteamericanas
- (in Spanish) La Nacion newspaper 2005 Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Habilitan un puente aéreo con EE.UU.
- (in Spanish) "A-4M Skyhawk II y el A-4AR Fightinghawk" Archived 24 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine