The Argentine Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana announced the retirement of the last Dassault Super Étendard single-engine attack fighters, both the original models purchased in 1979 and those acquired second-hand from France in 2018.
The €12 million contract included eight ATAR 8K50 engines, spare parts, and a training simulator. However, these aircraft have never been able to achieve operational status due to an arms embargo imposed by the United Kingdom in 1982. Three years later, the Argentinian authorities have given up on circumventing British sanctions.
The retirement of the Super Étendard marks the end of Argentina’s naval aviation, and with only several antique A-4AR Fightinghawk light attack jets still operating, the country’s military and defense authorities are left facing questions about the future of their aerial capabilities.