Argentine Air Force retires OA/A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet

The Argentine Air Force announced the retirement of the McDonnell Douglas OA/A-4AR Fightinghawks of the V Air Brigade, ending sixty years of history of the A-4 Skyhawk in the air force. (Santiago Rivas)

The Argentine Air Force (FAA) announced on 14 May the retirement of the McDonnell Douglas OA/A-4AR Fightinghawks of the V Air Brigade.

The A-4 Skyhawk had been in service in the country since the arrival of the first Douglas A-4Bs on 31 October 1966. The FAA received 32 A-4AR and 4 OA-4AR throughout their service, with 3 A-4AR and 1 OA-4AR lost in accidents.

The Argentine Air Force received its A-4ARs and OA-4ARs after the FAA tried to acquire a batch of F-16 Fighting Falcons in the early 1990s, a request which was declined by the United States and a batch of 54 Skyhawks was offered instead.

The FAA requested that the Skyhawk be modified with more sophisticated technology and ultimately 32 A-4Ms and four OA-4Ms were acquired and then modernised by Lockheed Martin, taking them to what was called the A-4AR/OA-4AR Fightinghawk - this incorporated various new systems, including a limited version of the Westinghouse APG-66 radar. In August 1995 the work began and in December 1997, the first five aircraft were delivered in the United States.

Brigadier General Gustavo Valverde, Chief of the General Staff of the FAA, said in a statement that the retirement decision was made after an exhaustive analysis of institutional strategic planning that prioritised operational efficiency and economic sustainability.