Airforces

THE FUERZA Aérea

Argentina (FAA, Argentine

Air Force) celebrated the

40th anniversary of the

Learjet 35A on October

26. The event took place
    at II Brigada Aérea (2nd Air
    Brigade) in Paraná, Entre
    Ríos province. Foreign
    Learjet visitors to the base
    included C-21A 84-0135
    of the US Air Force’s
    458th Airlift Squadron
    and R-35A FAB 6001
    operated by 1°/6° GAv of
    the Brazilian Air Force.
    The FAA began to
    introduce the Learjet 35
    in 1977. The initial four
    aircraft were T-21 to T-24.
    Between 1981 and 1982,
    two additional aircraft
    equipped for navaids

verification were added.

In 1982 the Learjets

were part of the Fénix

Squadron participating

in the Falklands/Malvinas

War, and were deployed

at Comodoro Rivadavia,

Rio Grande and Sán

Julián. While conducting

a mission, T-24 was shot

down by a Sea Dart missile

launched from HMS Exeter,

with the loss of five crew.

Since its introduction,

the FAA Learjet 35

fleet has accumulated

65,572 flight hours.

Esteban G Brea

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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #358 JANUARY 2018 // 21

Colombia

receives

Arpía IVs

THE FUERZA Aérea

Colombiana (FAC,

Colombian Air Force)

has received eight

modernised AH-60L

Arpía IV helicopters

from Rafael and Elbit. In

2015, an agreement was

announced between

the FAC and the Israeli

companies for the

upgrade of 12 helicopters

to Arpía IV standard.

The Arpía IV features

advanced Elbit avionics

including a new data

link and an ANVIS/HUD-

24 Helmet Display and

Tracking System (HDTS).

The helicopters also

received an improved

glass cockpit with four

colour multifunction

displays (MFDs). Rafael

provides a Toplite

3 forward-looking

infrared (FLIR) and laser

designating system.

Armament includes the

Rafael Spike missile

family, including the Spike

NLOS with a range of 19

miles (30km), Spike ER

(5 miles, 8km) and Spike

LR (2.5 miles, 4km). It

also has dual LAU-19

rocket launchers for 2.75in

(70mm) rockets including

Elbit’s GATR (Guided

Advanced Tactical Rocket).

The helicopters will serve

with the Escuadrón de

Combate 511 (Combat

Squadron 511) under

Comando Aéreo de

Combate 5 (CACOM 5,

Air Combat Command

5) and will eventually

replace the Arpía III

version. Noam Menashe

The specially painted Peruvian Air Force 20th anniversary MiG-29SM(P), with ammunition spelling out ‘MiG-29’ on the apron

in front of it, is prepared for the celebratory event on November 24 at Chiclayo. FAP

Peru celebrates 20 years of MiG-29 operations

THE FUERZA Aérea del

Perú (FAP, Peruvian Air

Force) has celebrated two

decades of operations with

the MiG-29. A ceremony

was held on November 24

at Base Aérea Capitán FAP

José Abelardo Quiñónez

Gonzalez Chiclayo, where

the type is operated

by Grupo Aéreo 6’s

Escuadrón Aéreo 612, to

mark the occasion, during

which a MiG-29 was

unveiled with special 20th

anniversary markings.

The FAP originally acquired

16 MiG-29S and a pair of

twin-seat MiG-29UB aircraft,

which entered service in

1997. They were joined
      by three MiG-29SEs in


1998. Two of the MiG-
      29S were lost in accidents
      on December 2, 1997
      and March 13, 2001. The
      remaining 14, plus the three

MiG-29SEs, have been

progressively upgraded to

MiG-29SM(P) standard under

a contract signed with RAC

MiG on August 12, 2008.

The deal also included

upgrading the two-seaters

to a similar standard as MiG-

29UB(P)s. Dave Allport

Final

Mexican

Navy

Panthers

THE MEXICAN Navy

has received its final two

AS565MBe Panthers at

Airbus Helicopters’ facility

in Marignane, France.

The Mexican Navy was

launch customer for this

version, with an order for

ten units in 2014. The

first four were delivered in

2016 and the remaining six

during the course of 2017.

The final two aircraft are

ANX-2163 and 2164, which

were noted at Marignane

in early December.

Above: Cessna T207A Turbo Stationair 7 AE-223 (207-00481) formerly served with Comando III

Cuerpo de Ejército at Córdoba. Juan Carlos Cicalesi

THE COMANDO de Aviación

de Ejército (CAE, Argentine

Army Aviation Command)

plans to sell its five Cessna

T207/A Turbo Stationair 7s.

The army purchased a total

of nine Stationair 7s in 1976-

78. Attrition losses for the
    T207 occurred on October
    19, 1977; November 18,
    1987; and November 22,


79. The single T207A loss
    occurred on March 19, 1982.
    The remaining five served
    in different sections of the
    CAE with the registrations
    AE-216 to AE-224 until
    withdrawn in late 2016.
    Juan Carlos Cicalesi

Forty years for FAA Learjet fl eet

Learjet 35A T-26 conducts a fl ypast during the anniversary

event at Paraná. Esteban G Brea

Argentine Army to sell Stationairs