On May 14, the Argentine Air Force officially announced the final retirement of the A-4AR Fightinghawk attack aircraft.
The decision was reported by the press service of the country’s defense ministry.
The event took place at the 5th Aviation Brigade in Villa Reynolds, San Luis Province.
The main reason for the decision was the high cost of maintaining the attack aircraft and supporting their logistics chain.
The freed-up funds and material resources will be directed toward modernizing the Air Force.
Another reason for the final decision to phase out the A-4AR was the integration of recently acquired F-16 fighter jets.
The history of the A-4AR Fightinghawk began in the mid-1990s, when Argentina ordered 36 A-4M and OA-4M Skyhawk aircraft from the United States to restore its combat capability following losses in the Falklands War. The modernization was carried out at Lockheed Martin facilities in the US and Argentina, which included a complete upgrade of the avionics and the installation of new control systems.
The Fightinghawk program allowed Argentina to obtain an attack aircraft with the capabilities of a modern fighter of that time. The aircraft were used both for direct battlefield support missions and for intercepting air targets thanks to upgraded radar equipment.
The A-4AR’s technical specifications include a Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408 turbojet engine, which allows it to reach a maximum speed of approximately 1,080 km/h.
The attack aircraft is armed with two 20-mm Colt Mk 12 cannons and has five hardpoints for AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, as well as various free-fall and guided bombs.
The aircraft is equipped with an ARG-1 onboard radar (a modification of the AN/APG-66 radar installed on early versions of the F-16). In addition, the cockpit features modern multifunction displays and a HOTAS control system.
Hands On Throttle-And-Stick (or HOTAS) is a cockpit design concept that places key controls directly on the aircraft control stick and engine control levers.
