Super Extended; Super Squadron

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Super Etendard; Super Squadron

Dr. Robert L. Scheina and Photos Courtesy of La Segunda Escuadrilla

On 4 May 1982, the Argentine Na­^vy s Second Attack Squadron turned heory into fact when an air-to-surface AM-39 Exocet missile slammed into ne side of the British destroyer Slief- ht'ld— proving air-launched missiles ^cnuld sink ships in combat. In fact, ne squadron’s Super Etendard air- and their Exocet missiles had re­^Cently arrived in Argentina, and the

flight simulators, and each received approximately 45 hours of actual flight time. Between August and November 1981, five aircraft and five missiles were shipped to Argentina. Nine more of each were to be shipped in the spring of 1982. The naval pilots began to fly the Super Etendards in Argentina dur­ing December.

On 30 March, two days before the

French ceased all military-related ac­tivity once hostilities broke out. Also, the remaining nine aircraft and mis­siles were not delivered.

fourth sank the Atlantic Conveyor (two missiles were fired); and the fifth at­tacked a large target, possibly a car­rier (the last missile was fired). The last three missions were conducted without target-locating assistance be­cause Argentina’s P-2 reconaissance aircraft had ceased to operate.

No Super Etendards were lost dur­ing the war.

Argentine Marines recaptured the Malvinas Islands, the commander of the squadron received orders to make the Exocet missiles operational. By this time, the pilots had accumulated approximately 90 hours of flight time each; but none had received any doc­trine or tactical training in the use of the Exocet missile. French techni­cians were to have made the missiles operational in mid-April. However, the

^^r§entines had to make the missiles Operational and develop their tactics ^,hemselves.

I he Argentine Navy ordered 14 pPer Etendard attack aircraft from j. ^r;,nce in late 1979. The plan was to ^t)rm a ten-plane squadron with four ones in reserve. From November , until August 1981. naval pilots !^lnti support personnel trained in Bri- ■inny, France. The pilots worked in

During the war, the Super Eten- dards flew five missions. Each mission was made up of two aircraft. The first was aborted; the second sank the Sheffield(two missiles were fired); the third could not locate the enemy; the

135

^{1 r<}*eedini>s / March 1983

Designed and purchased to operate from the carrier 25 de Mayo, the Argentine Navy’s five Super Etendards flew from shore bases during the war. No. 01 aircraft was used for spares and did not fly any missions; thus its nose sits higher in the line-up, below, because its engine has been removed. No. 02 aircraft (bottom), which attacked the Sheffield, lands carrying drop fuel tanks.

136

Proceedings / March