{"id":7158,"date":"2022-10-06T12:00:28","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T11:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/?p=7158"},"modified":"2022-11-22T12:47:04","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T11:47:04","slug":"skyhawks-illustrated-12505-a-veteran-of-the-controversial-attack-on-hms-invincible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gacetaeronautica.com\/gaceta\/wp-102\/skyhawks-illustrated-12505-a-veteran-of-the-controversial-attack-on-hms-invincible\/","title":{"rendered":"Skyhawks Illustrated #12505<\/b>: A veteran of the controversial attack on HMS “Invincible”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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).<\/p>\n

One of its initial squadrons, VA-46 “Clansmen”<\/strong>, was the first to fire AGM-12 “Bullpups” active missiles, becoming the first jet attack squadron in the Jacksonville Air Fleet area to fire air-to-surface guided missiles.<\/p>\n

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\"Carrier<\/a>
BuNo 147741 making a touch and go from aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVA-67) While flying with VA-83 Rampagers (photo: US Navy, 1967).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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In 1962, it was deployed aboard aircraft carrier, USS “Shangri-La”, on a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea and later that same year participated in the blockade of Cuba during to the so-called “Cuban missile crisis”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The remainder of its USN career was spent mostly in Mediterranean Sea deployments and Continental United States ground-based units, with no known traces of its involvement in the Vietnam war.<\/p>\n

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\"Scottish<\/a>
BuNo 147741 wearing VA-46 \u201cClansmen\u201d distinctive Scottish markings on the apron at NAS Cecil Field, Florida (photo US Navy, circa 1960).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Argentine transition<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Retired to Davis Monthan Air Force Base (Arizona) on 03\/19\/1971, it remained preserved until being purchased in “as is” condition by the FAA in December 1974, then totalling 3,824 flight hours.<\/p>\n

The future “Charlie 321” was stripped of sensitive US systems at the Lockheed Aircraft Services<\/strong> facilities in Ontario (California) and shipped to Argentina where it was painstakinlgy returned to operational condition by technicians at the R\u00edo Cuarto Material Area<\/strong> (ARMACUAR), flying in Argentina for the first time on 03\/29\/1978.<\/p>\n

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\"Latin<\/a>
C-321 at the El Plumerillo flight line, the day it entered operational service with the Argentine Air Force (photo: via Jorge Nu\u00f1ez Pad\u00edn, 05\/19\/1978).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Unlike its USN siblings, C-321 and all Argentine A-4C were fitted with British Marconi air-to-air and air-to-ground gun sights, ADF\/VOR\/ILS avionics, OMEGA navigation systems and IAI first-generation Shafrir air-to-air missiles and lost many of the original improvements in its original configuration (Low Altitude Bombing System, AN\/ASN-19 navigation system, APG-53 radar, Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, radar warning receiver and chaff dispensers, etc.).<\/p>\n

Released to active duty on 05\/19\/1978, the aircraft joined the IV Air Brigade<\/strong> (IV Br A\u00e9) in El Plumerillo (Mendoza), participating in several training deployments and was also used for the first tests with Israel Aircraft Industries Shafrir I missiles at Naval Air Station Comandante Espora near Bah\u00eda Blanca (Buenos Aires) in October 1978.<\/p>\n

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\"Shafrir<\/a>
Fitted with IAI Shafrir I missiles in its outer underwing pylons, C-321 was one of 12 A-4C Skyhawks deployed to Puerto San Juli\u00e1n por the Beagle Channel crisis (photo: via Fernando Benedetto, circa 12\/1978).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Our specimen actively involved in the Beagle Channel crisis, arriving 12\/13\/1978 at Puerto San Juli\u00e1n (Santa Cruz) and deployed to the same location in April 1982, completing seven combat sorties during the\u00a0 Malvinas (Falklands) War.<\/p>\n

Sink the “Invincible” carrier!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Its most outstanding mission took place on 05\/30\/1982, integrating “Zonda” flight with three other A-4Cs and flying alongside two Argentine Navy Super Etendards while the joint attack formation refuelled from two Air Force KC-130H Hercules tankers on their wait to attack British aircraft carrier, HMS “Invincible”, which Argentine electronic intelligence situated about 204 km. (110 NM) east of Soledad (East Falkland) Island.<\/p>\n

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\"Kill<\/a>
Nose close-up shows unit and mission marks worn by C-321, as noted in the Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawk 100,000 flight hours ceremony (photo: Carlos Ay, Villa Reynolds, 11\/29\/1985).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The attack formation took off from NAS R\u00edo Grande (Tierra del Fuego) and, guided by their OMEGA navigation systems, approached the British fleet from the southeast and launched an AM-39 Exocet anti-shipping missile and several 250 kg (500 lbs) bombs on their intended target in a daring attack which British sources contend didn’t hit the carrier but frigate HMS “Avenger”.<\/p>\n

While two of the Skyhawks were shot down by British surface-to-air missiles, C-321, flown by first lieutenant Ernesto Ureta<\/strong>, and sistership C-318 managed to avoid being shot down by performing violent evasive maneuvers and escaped back to R\u00edo Grande, where both landed safely after 03:40 flight hours.<\/p>\n

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\"Magic<\/a>
Detail of the Matra Magic II missile installation during certification tests (photo: Matra via Carlos Ay, EL Plumerillo, 05\/1983).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Back into peace time, our aircraft continued to operate from IV Br A\u00e9 until 12\/20\/1983, when all surviving FAA A-4 Skyhawk were consolidated at Villa Reynolds (San Luis) and continued to fly with V Br A\u00e9.<\/p>\n

In 1983, through an agreement with the French company MATRA, tests were carried out to homologate weapons within the framework of the “Skyhawk-Matra-Magic” Operation, successfully launching an R550 Magic II “all aspect” missile (the Magic 2 entered in service in France in 1985) in Mar del Plata and Matra-Durandal BLG-66 Belouga bombs were dropped on a cement platform in Mendoza.<\/p>\n

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\"Halc\u00f3n<\/a>
C-321 with the \u201cHalc\u00f3n I\u201d update (photo: Paolo Rollino, Villa Reynolds, 11\/26\/1990).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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In 1987, project “Halcon I” replaced the 20 mm Colt guns with 30 mm DEFA 553A-4s cannons in several V Br A\u00e9 Skyhawks (including C-321), increasing their firepower and reliability and giving way to the so-called A-4C Halc\u00f3n indigenous variant.<\/p>\n

Variants:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A4D-2N<\/strong> (1960), A-4C<\/strong> (redesignated 1962), A-4C<\/strong> (initial Argentine configuration, 1978) and A-4C Halc\u00f3n I<\/strong> (final Argentine configuration, 1987).<\/p>\n

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\"Salvage\"<\/a>
Remains of the C-321 tail group preserved in the Malvinas War Veterans Museum in Villa Mercedes (photo: Guillermo Canosa, 10\/09\/2022).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Identities:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

BuNo 147741<\/strong> (US Navy, 1960), 147741\/3A321<\/strong> (Military Aircraft Storage & Disposition Center, 03\/1971) and C-321<\/strong> (FAA, circa 12\/1974).<\/p>\n

Owners and operators:<\/strong><\/h3>\n