{"id":6377,"date":"2022-05-23T12:00:56","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T11:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/?p=6377"},"modified":"2022-05-13T18:48:39","modified_gmt":"2022-05-13T17:48:39","slug":"air-war-over-the-beagle-channel-according-to-the-chilean-air-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/air-war-over-the-beagle-channel-according-to-the-chilean-air-force\/","title":{"rendered":"A Chilean approach to air war over the Beagle Channel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Largely unnoticed by mass media and most specialist outlets, Chile’s Air Force (Fuerza A\u00e9rea de Chile, or FACH) recently released the first edition of its official story about the air war that wouldn’t occur around the Beagle Channel dispute with Argentina in the late 1970s.<\/p>\n

If you’re definitely interested in only learning about FACH moves to and from its Northern and Southern theaters in the second half of 1978, you can read chapter one to acquire a historical and diplomatic background to the Beagle Channel dispute and then skip directly to chapter five…<\/p>\n

More than a campaign account<\/strong><\/h3>\n

But the book goes well beyond the title proposition and half of its pages are devoted to render a detailed story of a maturity process which may as well explain the genesis of FACH’s present day amazing human and technological capabilities.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Preview of two chapter 5 pages showing a forces disposition map, some text and a picture of Escuela de Aviaci\u00f3n T-37 Tweety Bird jets redeployed from Santiago to Temuco integrating Grupo de Aviaci\u00f3n N\u00b0 14.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

The book’s chronicle begins two decades before<\/strong> war nearly broke out on Christmas eve 1978 and it does so by reviewing the 1958 Snipe crisis, when both nations were involved in a minor diplomatic incident around lighthouses built and troops deployed to that Beagle Channel islet by both navies (chapter 2).<\/p>\n

Even though the crisis was averted by diplomatic means, the authors mark the incident as the first of a series of border episodes which would increase tensions between Chile and its three neighbors and made it evident that their armed forces where definitely inferior when compared to those of Argentina, Bolivia and Per\u00fa (chapter 3).<\/p>\n

“An air force is not to be improvised”<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the lengthy (115 pages) and juicy chapter 4, the author reviews FACH’s evolution from 100% US-influenced doctrines and equipment of the 1940s and early 1950s, through their first flirts with European suppliers during the 1950s and 1960s to the still US-dominated capability mix of the 1970s.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Preview of two chapter 4 pages illustrating highlights of the Eduardo Frei Montalva administration (1964-1970), including economic restrictions, US influence of the time and the 1965 Laguna del Desierto incident.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

The chapter is also ripe with interesting details about US tutelage of FACH doctrine, equipment and rules of engagement, limited Chilean political interest and support to fund a more independent force structure beyond a few (but nonetheless meaningful) British Vampire and Hunter fighters acquisitions, and protracted or outright failed acquisitions of many different US aircraft types.<\/p>\n

Most interesting, though, are the accounts of the failed acquisitions of F-86 Sabre (1960-1962) and A-4 Skyhawk (1965-1966) fighters, especially frustrating in light of their coincidential delivery to the neighboring Argentine Air Force, as well as the long and protracted courting with the Northrop T-38 and F-5… which started in 1961 and saw fruition only in 1973!<\/p>\n

The last 170+ pages (chapter 5) provide a comprehensive account and testimonials of 1978 FACH redeployment plans, activation of reserves and civil resources, creation of ad-hoc flying and air defense squadrons alongside its Northern and Southern frontiers to counter the combined threat posed by Argentina, Per\u00fa and Bolivia activating Chilean militaries’ much feared triple-threat hypothesis<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
ROJO 1: La Fuerza A\u00e9rea de Chile en la crisis del Beagle de 1978<\/strong>. Author: Iv\u00e1n Siminic. Publisher: Academia de Guerra A\u00e9rea, Santiago de Chile, 09\/2021. Click on image to download digital version from FACH Airmen Library.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

The book is the result of a three-year research project led by general (retired) Juan Jos\u00e9 Soto Palomino<\/strong>, intelligence professor at FACH’s Air Warfare Academy, who conducted countless witness interviews and wrote the foreword, and was compiled by lawyer, aviation and defense academic, Iv\u00e1n Siminic<\/strong>, who is also known in our environment as the editor behind the blog, El Observador Aeron\u00e1utico<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Summary… recommended!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The book is particularly poor when it comes to illustrations (images and maps are scarce, poor quality and not necessarily correspond to the conflict’s time frame), information on Argentine air armed services comes completely from our fellow Argentine publishers, Avialatina and Australis | N\u00fa\u00f1ez Pad\u00edn, and it tends to abuse of excessive and repetititive witness testimonies.<\/p>\n

But, beyond those “weak spots”, its inevitable nationalistic tone and one-sided points of view, the book is a worthwhile addition of knowledge to the little known air chapter of Chilean-Argentine border disputes in the second half of the 20th Century.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Largely unnoticed by mass media and most specialist outlets, Chile’s Air Force (Fuerza A\u00e9rea de Chile, or FACH) recently released the first edition of its official story about the air war that wouldn’t occur around the Beagle Channel dispute with Argentina in the late 1970s. If you’re definitely interested in only learning about FACH moves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,16],"tags":[87,53,3,6,81,85,83,82,84,86],"class_list":["post-6377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-defence","category-media","tag-a-37-dragonfly","tag-a-4-skyhawk","tag-aeromilitaria-argentina","tag-aeromilitaria-chile","tag-beagle-channel-conflict","tag-dh-vampire","tag-f-5-freedom-fighter-tiger-ii","tag-f-86-sabre","tag-hawker-hunter","tag-lockheed-hercules"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3022\/02\/Tapa.png?fit=1024%2C778&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1JKRl-1ER","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6001,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/photo-logbook-the-chilean-f-16-that-brought-down-a-british-sea-harrier\/","url_meta":{"origin":6377,"position":0},"title":"The Chilean F-16 that “shot down” a British Sea Harrier","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Monday 11 July 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Unique among 30 former Dutch F-16s purchased by Chile at the beginning of the XXI Century is an example which can claim to have shot down a British naval fighter \"in combat\"... read on!","rel":"","context":"In "Defence & security"","block_context":{"text":"Defence & security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Atacama (2009)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/07\/212829467_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/07\/212829467_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/07\/212829467_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3031\/07\/212829467_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9828,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/fida1984-when-fidae-started-feeling-like-the-latin-american-le-bourget\/","url_meta":{"origin":6377,"position":1},"title":"FIDA’84: When FIDAE first felt like “the Latin American Salon de Le Bourget“","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Thursday 4 April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Forty years ago, FIDAE lacked the final \"E\" in its acronym and didn't cater for many of the market segments that are usually served in the 21st Century. One of our senior correspondents was there in March 1984 and brings back images, stories and recollections gathered on a week-long stay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Air shows & aviation events"","block_context":{"text":"Air shows & aviation events","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/air-shows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tiger II","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/03\/G-AI-26_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/03\/G-AI-26_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/03\/G-AI-26_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/03\/G-AI-26_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10184,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/the-first-chilean-viper-twin\/","url_meta":{"origin":6377,"position":2},"title":"The first “Chilean Viper trainer”","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Monday 6 January 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"After a protracted competition designated Fighter 2000 (Caza 2000) pitting US, French, Swedish and Russian candidates, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was selected by the Chilean government on December 27, 2000 to bring the nation's fighter force into the XXI Century. Comprising four F-16D and six F-14C Block 50M aircraft, purchase\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Defence & security"","block_context":{"text":"Defence & security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/12\/LLQA_20180919-Parada-Militar_0115_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/12\/LLQA_20180919-Parada-Militar_0115_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/12\/LLQA_20180919-Parada-Militar_0115_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3024\/12\/LLQA_20180919-Parada-Militar_0115_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7158,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/skyhawks-illustrated-12505-a-veteran-of-the-controversial-attack-on-hms-invincible\/","url_meta":{"origin":6377,"position":3},"title":"Skyhawks Illustrated #12505: A veteran of the controversial attack on HMS “Invincible”","author":"Guillermo Canosa","date":"Thursday 6 October 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Initially built for operation aboard American aircraft carriers, this particular Skyhawk had a rich operational history as it served in wartime, or near wartime, operations both in the United States Navy (USN) and later in the Argentine Air Force (FAA). One of its initial squadrons, VA-46 \"Clansmen\", was the first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Defence & security"","block_context":{"text":"Defence & security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kill markings","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3022\/09\/1985-11-29-0D0012_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3022\/09\/1985-11-29-0D0012_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3022\/09\/1985-11-29-0D0012_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/3022\/09\/1985-11-29-0D0012_edited.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1665,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/the-2005-argentine-exercises-index\/","url_meta":{"origin":6377,"position":4},"title":"The 2005 Argentine Exercises Index","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Thursday 29 November 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The second Argentine military aviation exercises index in the \u201cGaceta Aeron\u00e1utica Age\u201d is actually an updated version of our original Aeromilitaria Argentina index for 2005. This more complete variant reviews more than 35 exercises, simulations and drills totalling more than 220 days of activity on the field. An apparently \u201cinternational\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Defence & security"","block_context":{"text":"Defence & security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/AF_photo_65711a.jpg?fit=680%2C466&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/AF_photo_65711a.jpg?fit=680%2C466&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/AF_photo_65711a.jpg?fit=680%2C466&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3763,"url":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/the-short-story-of-argentine-military-barons\/","url_meta":{"origin":6377,"position":5},"title":"The short story of Argentina’s military Beechcraft Barons","author":"Carlos Ay","date":"Monday 9 June 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Little known to the average aviation buff, is the fact that Beechcraft's top-of-the-line product in the non-turbine segment, the Baron, saw short-term duty in Argentine presidential, military and security service. Although research has produced no results yet, it may have also seen pre-war service during the 1977-1978 Beagle Channel escalade.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Defence & security"","block_context":{"text":"Defence & security","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/category\/defence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/JAM_00255_650.jpg?fit=650%2C434&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/JAM_00255_650.jpg?fit=650%2C434&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/JAM_00255_650.jpg?fit=650%2C434&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6377"}],"version-history":[{"count":108,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6593,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6377\/revisions\/6593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}