Jor70/2da Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque

801 Naval Air Squadron
File:2da Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque.png 2da Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque
Active	1944-present
Country	Argentina
Branch	Argentine Naval Aviation
Role	Embarked fighters
Garrison/HQ	Comandante Espora, Bahia Blanca
Battle honours	Falklands (Malvinas)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Capitan de Fragata Jorge Colombo

The 2da Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque ( English: Second naval fighters strike squadron ) is the main strike unit of the Argentine Naval Aviation, the air branch of the Argentine Navy.

Seal

The insignia is nicknamed La Lora (female parrot) and was created in 1956 and inspired on US Navy fighter squadron VF-144 Bitter Birds 's Jayhawk, a mythological hawk from state of Kansas, but painted green instead of blue .

History

In 1944, both naval aviation existing Reconnaissance units are transformed in Attack Squadron receiving their Vought V-65F & V-142A but soon in 1945 the 2nd is changed again as a Bomber Squadron. The 2nd squadron is reestablished in 1949 as a Combat Squadron flying AT-6 Texan and finally took his current name on August 1956 when received Vought F4U-5 Corsair for use on the ARA Independencia aircraft carrier.

In 1980, the Naval Aviation decided to buy 14 Super Etendards, after the United States put an arms embargo in place—due to the Dirty War—and refused to supply spare parts for their A-4Q Skyhawks. Argentine pilots used French flight trainers between November 1980 and August 1981 in France and, although being all A-4Q veterans, they had received only 45 hours of actual flight time in the new aircraft when in April 1982 began the Falklands War .

Falklands War

Main article: Argentine air forces in the Falklands War

Sues recently received

Five Super Étendards, Sue as they are called, and five Exocets missiles were already shipped to Argentina in November 1981 when a new arms embargo prevent the delivery of further units. More problematic was the fact that the French technicians working at Bahia Blanca on the integration of the Exocet into the Super Etendard received orders to leave the country as well. Nevertheless the Squadron managed to completed the work and, not being the ARA 25 de Mayo already modified to allow them operated embarked, deployed south to the naval air base at Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego . One aircraft, 2-A-201, was canibalized for spare parts use while the rest performed the following missions during the conflict using aerial refueling from KC-130 Hercules tankers of the Argentine Air Force:

• May 4 Cpt Bedacarratz and Lt Mayora sink HMS Sheffield. Two exocets used.
• May 15 The retirement of the last of the maritime patrol SP-2H Neptunes due airframe arttitrion affected the Squadron reconnaissance support.
• May 23 Cpt Agotegaray and Lt Mariani do not found targets at the designated location
• May 25 Cpt Currilovic and Lt Barraza sink Atlantic Conveyor. Two exocets used.
• May 30 Cpt Francisco and Lt Collavino joined four A-4Q Skyhawks in an attempt to strike the HMS Invincible aircraft carrier. According British sources, two of the Skyhawks were shot down by Sea Dart missiles for HMS Exeter and the last Exocet available was destroyed by a direct impact of HMS Avenger frigate 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun

Present

USS Ronald Reagan

Once the conflict was over, the rest of the Super Etendards shipment was delivered and the Squadron performed qualifications on aircraft carrier ARA 25 de Mayo ^Video. After the retirement of their last carrier, Argentine cooperation with the Brazilian Navy has meant that the naval air wing has continued to operate from the deck of carrier NAe São Paulo during ARAEX exercises ^video and/or touch-and-go landings on US Navy carriers when they are in transit within Argentine coastal waters during Gringo-Gaucho manouvres ^video

References

• histarmar.com.ar Escuadrillas Aeronavales de Ataque y Combate

External links

• Super Etendard at the Argentine Navy official site
• Argentine Naval Aviation Institute
• MUAN Official Naval Aviation Museum