| Comando de Aviación del Ejército Argentino (EA) |
By Erwin van Dijkman
Brief History
The history of military aviation is detailed in the first part of the description of aviation history on the FAA pages of this website. After the first balloon flights in the 1860s, the creation of the military aviation school in 1912, and the inception of many air units and the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) in the twenties and thirties, the formal creation of a separate Air Force command 11 February 1944 meant an untimely end to army aviation. Air assets were now mostly controlled by the new command and little was left of the army aviation.
In the years after the Second World War small numbers of aircraft were used by the army in supporting roles until 1956 when the Aviación del Ejército was created again. Throughout the sixties the army command operated various models of Beech, Cessna and Piper aircraft in the training and liaison roles alomgside the FH1100 helicopter. However, the host of aircraft arrived in the seventies. Helicopters like the Bell UH-1H, Bell 212, CH-47C, Hiller H-23, SA315 Lama, SA330 and A109A were received along with transports DHC-6, G222, SA226 and Sabreliner and various light aircraft in the shape of Cessna 207 and T-41D. These types formed the backbone of the Aviation Command at the start of the Malvinas campaign. As with the other branches of the armed forces, the army lost many aircraft and the hostilities effectively led to the demise of the Chinook and the Puma in army service. Many Hueys were destroyed or captured by British forces.
After the Malvinas conflict the army aviation was gradually restructured into a force in support of more peaceful tasks like search and rescue, disaster relief, and other humanitarian missions. However, it is still very capable of supporting its infantry with the many second hand Hueys and Super Pumas that subsequently arrived and the Mohawk observation aircraft obtained in numbers from the United States (although only a handful are actually serviceable). The army is still seeking to replace its A109A Hirundo helicopters with a more potent and dedicated platform. The Cobra was rumoured to be up for delivery early this century, but this deal fell through. With the economic situation still being a bit grim the necessary modernisation of the army air command is not imminent.
Sources:
http://www.avejer.ejercito.mil.ar/menupr.htm (official)
http://www.aeromilitaria.com.ar/ea/index.htm (unofficial)
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Photo: Cees-Jan van der Ende
Photo: Cees-Jan van der Ende
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Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA)
FAA Order of Battle