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110-539: Puerto San Julián was given its name by the leader of a Spanish expedition , the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan , who arrived there on 31 March 1520 and stopped for the winter with his crew in the harbour, staying for five months. They met the native people who were described by Antonio Pigafetta as giants, and called them Patagonians . Although Pigafetta's account does not describe how this name came about, subsequent popular interpretations gave credence to

220-414: A Venetian scholar and traveller, asked to be on the voyage, accepting the title of " supernumerary " and a modest salary. He became a strict assistant of Magellan and kept a journal. The only other sailor to keep a running account during the voyage would be Francisco Albo, who kept a formal nautical logbook. Juan de Cartagena , suspected illegitimate son of archbishop Fonseca, was named Inspector General of

330-462: A horoscope reading indicating that the voyage would be fatal for him ) and was removed from the expedition by the king. He was replaced as the fleet's joint commander by Juan de Cartagena and as cosmographer/astrologer by Andrés de San Martín . Juan Sebastián Elcano , a Spanish merchant ship captain living in Seville, embarked seeking the king's pardon for previous misdeeds. Antonio Pigafetta ,

440-574: A break in the coast was spotted. There, the fleet found a natural harbour which they called Port St. Julian . The men remained at St. Julian for five months, before resuming their search for the strait. Within a day of landing at St. Julian, there was another mutiny attempt. Like the one during the Atlantic crossing, it was led by Juan de Cartagena (former captain of the San Antonio ), aided by Gaspar de Quesada and Luis Mendoza , captains of

550-526: A cartographer at the Casa de Contratación , took part in the development of the maps to be used in the travel. Several problems arose during the preparation of the trip, including lack of money, the king of Portugal trying to stop them, Magellan and other Portuguese incurring suspicion from the Spanish, and the difficult nature of Faleiro. The fleet, consisting of five ships with supplies for two years of travel,

660-534: A contingent to Cyprus in 1994 and deploying Bell 212 helicopters to Haiti during 2005. In early 2005, seventeen brigadiers , including the Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Carlos Rohde, were fired by President Néstor Kirchner following a scandal involving drug trafficking through Ezeiza International Airport . Kirchner cited failures in the security systems of the Argentine airports, which were overseen by

770-518: A decoy mission over the north of the islands to draw off British Sea Harriers. The Skyhawks destroyed the landing craft "Foxtrot 4", damaged the Sir Galahad so badly that it was subsequently scuttled and also severely damaged the Sir Tristram, although she survived and was later rebuilt. Fire and explosions on the ships resulted in 56 deaths and 150 wounded; the worst single loss of life for

880-456: A derivation meaning 'land of the big feet'. However, this etymology is questionable. The term is most likely derived from an actual character name, " Patagón ", a savage creature confronted by Primaleón of Greece, the hero in the Spanish chivalry novel by Francisco Vázquez, published in 1512, much in fashion at the time, and a favourite reading of Magellan. Magellan's perception of the natives, dressed in skins, and eating raw meat, clearly recalled

990-535: A further three, to support Antarctic bases . The FAA has been seeking to replace its ageing force with more capable and more serviceable modern aircraft. The acquisition of Spanish Mirage F1Ms , IAI Kfir Block 60s and Saab Gripen E/Fs were considered, but as of February 2015, all of those deals appear to have stalled; the Mirage F1 deal was scrapped by the Spanish government in March 2014, after pressure from

1100-492: A hind leg of "some large animal, I fancy a Mastodon ". On their return to England , the anatomist Richard Owen revealed that the bones were actually from a gigantic creature resembling the Llama and the camel , which Owen named Macrauchenia . This was one of the discoveries leading to the inception of Darwin's theory . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, San Julián and the surrounding countryside (or "camp" as it

1210-718: A map of the Brazilian coastline, the Livro da Marinharia (the "Book of the Sea"), and also had a crew member, the Concepción' s pilot, João Lopes Carvalho, who had previously visited Rio de Janeiro . Carvalho was enlisted to lead the fleet's navigation down the Brazilian coastline to Rio, aboard the Trinidad , and also helped communicate with the locals, as he had some rudimentary knowledge of their Guarani language. On 13 December,

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1320-661: A meager five aircraft defecting to the other side. After the Revolución Libertadora succeeded and the coup took place, previously mentioned manufacturing operations ceased and most foreign workers left the country, including engineer Kurt Tank who went to work in India . Despite claims that the Argentine Air Force "baptisme by fire" took place during the Malvinas War (1982), this was actually

1430-536: A mere supernumerary. The fleet sailed south along the South American coast, hoping to reach el paso , the fabled strait that would allow them passage past South America to the Spice Islands. On 11 January , a headland marked by three hills was sighted, which the crew believed to be "Cape Santa Maria". Around the headland, they found a wide body of water that extended as far as the eye could see in

1540-559: A priest, Pedro Sanchez de Reina, were sentenced to be marooned . On 11 August, two weeks before the fleet left St. Julian, the two were taken to a small nearby island and left to die. Days later, the pilot of the ship San Antonio, Esteban Gómez, shot down its captain, Álvaro de Mezquita, Magellan's cousin, abandoning Magellan's expedition to return to Spain. He returned for Juan de Cartagena and Pedro Sánchez de la Reina, but found no trace of them. More than forty other conspirators, including Juan Sebastián Elcano, were put in chains for much of

1650-424: A smaller number of Flemish, German, Greek, Irish, English, Asian, and black sailors. Counted among the Spanish crew members were at least 29 Basques (including Juan Sebastián Elcano), some of whom did not speak Spanish fluently. Ruy Faleiro , who had initially been named co-captain with Magellan, developed mental health problems prior to departure (or, as other sources state, chose to remain behind after performing

1760-422: A strait (or the southern terminus of the continent) within a short distance. In fact, the fleet would sail south for another eight weeks without finding passage, before stopping to overwinter at St. Julian . Not wanting to miss the strait, the fleet sailed as close to the coast as feasible, heightening the danger of running aground on shoals . The ships sailed only during the day, with lookouts carefully watching

1870-595: A token increase to his pay, and that in late 1515 or early 1516, Manuel granted Magellan's request to be allowed to serve another master. Around this time, Magellan met the cosmographer Rui Faleiro , another Portuguese subject nursing resentment towards Manuel. The two men acted as partners in planning a voyage to the Moluccas which they would propose to the king of Spain. Magellan relocated to Seville, Spain in 1517, with Faleiro following two months later. On arrival in Seville, Magellan contacted Juan de Aranda, factor of

1980-429: A week exploring Santa Cruz, Serrano set out to return to St. Julian on 22 May, but was caught in a sudden storm while leaving the harbour. The Santiago was tossed about by strong winds and currents before running aground on a sandbar. All (or nearly all ) of the crew were able to clamber ashore before the ship capsized . Two men volunteered to set off on foot for St. Julian to get help. After 11 days of hard trekking,

2090-540: A west-by-southwest direction. Magellan believed he had found el paso , though in fact he had reached the Río de la Plata . Magellan directed the Santiago , commanded by Juan Serrano , to probe the 'strait', and led the other ships south hoping to find Terra Australis , the southern continent which was then widely supposed to exist south of South America. They failed to find the southern continent, and when they regrouped with

2200-759: A working group to look into the transfer of 14 aircraft. Russia had also offered to lease 12 Su-24 strike aircraft to the FAA, but Jane's reported that the Su-24 would not be very useful to the FAA and that "it would appear that any proposed transfer of such aircraft is likely the result of Russia playing political games with the UK over the continuing crisis in Ukraine." All Mirages were officially decommissioned on 30 November 2015. The A-4s were grounded as of January 2016 , for lack of spares; in any case only 4–5 were airworthy with

2310-434: Is also given in some sources as Antonio Salamón , Antonio Salamone, and Antonio Salomón, with his job being alternatively listed as boatswain and quartermaster. António Varesa's name is also given as Antonio Ginovés, with his job also being listed as cabin boy, "ship's boy", or "grummet". Varesa's death is also sometimes described as a suicide from being ridiculed or that he too was outright sentenced to death during

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2420-695: Is one of the three branches of the Argentine military, having equal status with the Army and the Navy ; the President of Argentina is Commander-in-Chief of all three. The FAA is headed by the Chief of the General Staff ( Jefe del Estado Mayor General ), directly appointed by the President. The Chief of Staff usually holds the rank of Brigadier General, the highest rank of the Air Force, being seconded by

2530-514: Is reported to be the first jet to have landed there, in 1973. Since the 1970s, DHC-6 Twin Otters have also been deployed, with the Air Force launching Operation Transantar in October 1973. This resulted in the first trans-Antarctic three-continent flight in history when a Hercules C-130 flew between Río Gallegos ; Marambio Base ; Christchurch , New Zealand and Canberra , Australia . In

2640-612: Is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic . In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadier Major Fernando Mengo. The Air Force's history began with the establishment of the Army Aviation Service 's Escuela de Aviación Militar ('Military Aviation School') on 10 August 1912. Throughout

2750-560: The Casa de Contratación . Following the arrival of his partner Rui Faleiro, and with the support of Aranda, they presented their project to the king Charles I of Spain (future Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). Magellan's project, if successful, would realise Columbus' plan of a spice route by sailing west without damaging relations with the Portuguese. The idea was in tune with the times and had already been discussed after Balboa's discovery of

2860-913: The A-4 Skyhawks . Other equipment purchased by Argentina were: 23 US Army surplus OV-1 Mohawks, 2 C-130B, and 1 Lockheed L-100-30. Argentina started the development of brand new aircraft, including the FMA IA-63 Pampa , the combat fighter FMA SAIA 90 , and the subsequent transformation of the Condor missile into a medium-range ballistic missile. Of these, only the Pampa was successfully developed. During 1994, President Carlos Menem discontinued mandatory military service and began allowing women to serve. The Argentine Air Force has been involved in United Nations peacekeeping missions, sending

2970-510: The Concepción and Victoria , respectively. As before, the Castilian captains questioned Magellan's leadership and accused him of recklessly endangering the fleet's crew and ships. The mutiny at St. Julian was more calculated than the fracas that had followed the sodomy trial during the Atlantic crossing. Around midnight of Easter Sunday, 1 April, Cartagena and Quesada covertly led thirty armed men, their faces covered with charcoal , aboard

3080-693: The Indian Ocean after Magellan's death in the Philippines . Totaling 60,440 km , or 37,560 mi , the nearly three-year voyage achieved the first circumnavigation of Earth in history. It also revealed the vast scale of the Pacific Ocean and proved that ships could sail around the world on a western sea route. The expedition accomplished its primary goal—to find a western route to the Spice Islands. The five-ship fleet left Spain on 20 September 1519 with about 270 men. After sailing across

3190-561: The Indies and establishing direct commercial relations between Spain and the Asian kingdoms. The Spanish soon realized that the lands of the Americas were not a part of Asia, but another continent. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas reserved for Portugal the eastern routes that went around Africa, and Vasco da Gama and the Portuguese arrived in India in 1498. Given the economic importance of

3300-729: The Magellan–Elcano expedition , was a 16th-century Spanish expedition planned and led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan . One of the most important voyages in the Age of Discovery —and in the history of exploration —its purpose was to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to open a trade route with the Moluccas , or Spice Islands, in present-day Indonesia . The expedition departed Spain in 1519 and returned there in 1522 led by Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano , who crossed

3410-432: The San Antonio , where they ambushed Álvaro de Mezquita, the recently named captain of the ship. Mezquita was Magellan's cousin and sympathetic to the captain general. Juan de Elorriaga, the ship's master, resisted the mutineers and attempted to alert the other ships. For this reason, Quesada stabbed him repeatedly (he would die from his wounds months later). With the San Antonio subdued, the mutineers controlled three of

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3520-408: The Santiago a few days later, Serrano reported that the hoped-for strait was in fact the mouth of a river. Incredulous, Magellan led the fleet through the western waters again, taking frequent soundings . Serrano's claim was confirmed when the men eventually found themselves in fresh water . On 3 February, the fleet continued south along the South American coast. Magellan believed they would find

3630-571: The Treaty of Tordesillas . Though the expedition did find a route, it was much longer and more arduous than expected and was therefore not commercially useful. Nevertheless, the expedition is regarded as one of the greatest achievements in seamanship and had a significant impact on the European understanding of the world. Christopher Columbus 's voyages to the West (1492–1504) had the goal of reaching

3740-517: The Trinidad and found Antón guilty, sentencing him to death by strangulation. Antón was later executed on 20 December 1519, after the fleet's landfall in Brazil at Santa Lucia (present-day Rio de Janeiro ), his strangled body being burnt. Varesa drowned after going overboard on 27 April 1520, having been thrown off by his shipmates. In a meeting following the trial, Magellan's captains challenged his leadership. Cartagena accused Magellan of risking

3850-457: The Victoria in a skiff and announced that he had a message for the captain, Luis Mendoza. Espinosa was allowed aboard, and into the captain's chambers, based on his claim that he had a confidential letter. There, Espinosa stabbed Mendoza in the throat with his poignard , killing him instantly. At the same time, the disguised marines came aboard the Victoria to support the alguacil . With

3960-458: The Victoria lost and Mendoza dead, the remaining mutineers realised they were outmanoeuvred. Quesada attempted to flee but was prevented from doing so – sailors loyal to Magellan had cut the Concepción' s cables, causing it to drift toward the Trinidad , and Quesada was captured. Cartagena conceded and begged Magellan for mercy. The trial of the mutineers was headed by Magellan's cousin Álvaro de Mezquita and lasted five days. On 7 April, Quesada

4070-473: The Victoria , a longboat of sailors drifted off course into the vicinity of the Trinidad . The men were brought aboard and persuaded to divulge the details of the mutineers' plans to Magellan. Magellan subsequently launched a counteroffensive against the mutineers aboard the Victoria . He had some marines from the Trinidad switch clothing with the stray sailors and approach the Victoria in their longboat. His alguacil , Gonzalo de Espinosa, also approached

4180-574: The bombing of the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires . Government loyalist Gloster Meteors fought rebel planes and attempted a failed assassination of the President in a coup d'état. The plan failed, and the rebels bombed the city and the House of Government . In the following September coup , the Air Force supported Perón's government by initiating combat operations and transporting troops and arms with

4290-589: The spice trade , Castile ( Spain ) urgently needed to find a new commercial route to Asia. After the Junta de Toro conference of 1505, the Spanish Crown commissioned expeditions to discover a route to the west. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reached the Pacific Ocean in 1513 after crossing the Isthmus of Panama , and Juan Díaz de Solís died in Río de la Plata in 1516 while exploring South America in

4400-622: The 1960s, new aircraft were incorporated, including the F-86F Sabre jet fighter and the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk mainly used for ground-attack. During the 1970s, the Air Force re-equipped itself with Mirage III interceptors, IAI Dagger multi-role fighters, and C-130 Hercules cargo planes. A counter-insurgency airplane, the Pucará , was also manufactured and used in substantial numbers. The Air Force also had an important role in

4510-616: The 1976 coup which lead to a military dictatorship that lasted until 1983 . The Falklands War was the first war fought by the Argentine Air Force against an external enemy. Some operational aircraft were obsolete. However, the airforce came close to winning the war for Argentina. During the war, the Air Force division of the Military Junta was called the Fuerza Aérea Sur (FAS, 'Southern Air Force'), and led by Ernesto Crespo. Air engagements began on May 1, 1982 with

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4620-701: The 230 aircraft present were operated by the navy and included the Supermarine Southampton , Supermarine Walrus , Fairey Seal , Fairey III , Vought O2U Corsair , Consolidated P2Y , Curtiss T-32 Condor II , Douglas Dolphin , and Grumman J2F Duck . The first step towards establishing the Air Force as a separate branch of the Armed Forces was taken during 11 February 1944 to establish the Aeronautical Command-in-Chief ( Comando en Jefe de Aeronáutica ) directly under

4730-471: The Air Force carried out an operation in Bluff Cove . The British were using the landing ships RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram to position the 5th Infantry Brigade for an assault on Port Stanley. As these ships were unloading and therefore vulnerable, they were attacked by nine A-4 Skyhawks in two waves, while five Daggers attacked the escorting frigate HMS  Plymouth and four more conducted

4840-457: The Air Force without a fighter replacement. Some sources suggested that the cancellation was due to the financial pressures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, while others reported that British intervention played a part by preventing the export of an aircraft incorporating various British components. In October 2020, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) confirmed that since major components of

4950-560: The Air Operations Command are the Air Brigades ( Brigadas Aéreas ), the Air Force's major operative units, as well as the airspace surveillance and control group ( Grupo VYCEA, Argentine Air Force ). There is currently estimated to be a total of eight air brigades operational. Brigades are headquartered at Military Air Bases ( Base Aérea Militar (BAMs). Each Air Brigade is made up of three Groups, each bearing

5060-631: The Argentine command surrendered, returning control of the Falklands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands to the United Kingdom. The Argentine Air Force suffered 55 dead and 47 wounded, with 505 combat departures and 62 aircraft losses, as listed below: After the war, the UK imposed an arms embargo on Argentina. The United States, however, sold Argentina 36 A-4AR Fighting hawks , a refurbished and upgraded version of

5170-662: The Atlantic Ocean, the fleet continued south along the eastern coast of South America , and eventually discovered the Strait of Magellan , allowing the ships to pass through to the Pacific Ocean, which Magellan himself named Mar Pacifico . The fleet completed the first Pacific crossing , stopped in the Philippines, and eventually reached the Moluccas after two years. A much-depleted crew led by Elcano finally returned to Spain on 6 September 1522, having sailed west across

5280-678: The British in the 45 days of operations. Ironically, many of San Julián's early inhabitants had been British subjects from the Falkland Islands, who worked in the region's sheep-raising industry. Puerto San Julián has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSk ) that is nevertheless mild for its latitude. Summers are mild and dry, whereas winter remain firmly above freezing during daytime, with frosts being common albeit often light during nights. Magellan expedition The Magellan expedition , sometimes termed

5390-519: The British in the war. After their attack, three A-4s from the second wave were shot down by Sea Harriers, killing all three pilots. All the explosive ordnance deployed by the Daggers failed to explode. On June 13, the A-4 Skyhawks of the Argentine Air Force renewed their attacks in two formations of four aircraft each and launched an attack against enemy troops and helicopters. On June 14, 1982,

5500-527: The British provision of latest-generation engines alongside other aircraft parts. In his first term, President Juan Perón brought teams of European engineers to the FMA, then known as the Instituto Aerotécnico ('Aerotechnical Institute'), or I.Ae., to promote aircraft technological development. The count totaled to around 750 workers, including two teams of German designers (led by Kurt Tank ) and

5610-652: The Deputy Chief of the General Staff and three senior officers in charge of the FAA's three Commands: the Air Operations, the Personnel, and the Materiel Command. The Air Operations Command ( Comando de Operaciones Aéreas ) is the branch of the Air Force responsible for aerospace defense, air operations, planning, training, and technical and logistical support of the air units. Subordinate to

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5720-476: The European teams that Perón had brought, also began to develop its own aircraft, including the I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I and the I.Ae. 33 Pulqui II jet fighter prototypes. These manufactures gave Argentina the positions of the first country in Latin America and the sixth in the world to develop jet fighter technology on its own. Other Argentina-developed aircraft included the prototypes the I.Ae. 23 trainer,

5830-674: The French engineer Émile Dewoitine . In 1947, the Air Force purchased 100 Gloster Meteor jet fighters. These aircraft were paid for by the United States to partially pay back its debt to Argentina, which had provided them with raw materials during World War II . This purchase caused the Argentine Air Force to become the first in Latin America equipped with jet-propelled combat fighters. In addition, several Avro Lincoln and Avro Lancaster bombers were also acquired. The Air Force, with former Luftwaffe officers as consultants and with

5940-430: The General Aeronautics Authority ( Dirección General de Aeronáutica ) was created to coordinate the country's military aviation. In that same year, the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (lit. 'Military Aircraft Factory', FMA), which would play a crucial role in the country's aviation industry, was founded in Córdoba . Despite that, throughout the 1930s, Argentina acquired various aircraft from the United Kingdom, Germany, and

6050-532: The Government officially included funding of $ 664 million in a draft budget for Congress involving the purchase of new combat aircraft. In 2022, talks with China over the potential purchase of JF-17 Thunders , and possibly Chengdu J-10s , and with India for HAL Tejas fighter jets came to the fore. However in December 2022, Argentine President Alberto Fernández appeared to reject the notion of buying new fighter aircraft for air force, stating: “There are other priorities before buying weapons, definitely”. Referring to

6160-420: The Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope through waters controlled by the Portuguese, and north along the west African coast to finally arrive in Spain. The expedition endured many hardships, including sabotage and mutinies by the mostly Spanish crew (and Elcano himself), starvation, scurvy , storms, and hostile encounters with indigenous people. Only about 40 men and one ship (the Victoria ) completed

6270-469: The King's ships by his choice of route, sailing South along the African coast. When Cartagena declared that he would no longer follow Magellan's command, Magellan gave the signal for a number of armed loyalists to enter the room and take hold of Cartagena. Magellan called Cartagena a "rebel" and branded his behaviour as mutinous. Cartagena called on the other two Castilian captains (Quesada and Mendoza) to stab Magellan, but they held back. Immediately following

6380-408: The Mirage 3, Dagger, and Mirage 5 fighters that have also been retired; it was also anticipated that obtaining FA-50 would help mitigate the retirement of the Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet, as they were ageing and becoming difficult to maintain. As of 2020, it is reported that as few as six of the Fightinghawk aircraft remain operational. While no specific numbers of aircraft to purchase were given,

6490-427: The National Aeronautic Police, then a branch of the Air Force (predecessor of the today independent Airport Security Police ), and cover-ups of the scandal. As of 2010 , budgetary constraints continued, leading to the disbanding of the Boeing 707 transport squadron and maintenance problems for half of the C-130 Hercules fleet. In August 2010, a contract was signed for two Mi-17E helicopters , plus an option on

6600-412: The Pacific. On 22 March 1518, the king named Magellan and Faleiro captains general. He also raised them to the rank of Commander of the Order of Santiago . They reached an agreement with King Charles which granted them, among other things: The expedition was funded largely by the Spanish Crown, which provided ships carrying supplies for two years of travel. Though King Charles I was supposed to pay for

6710-406: The UK to not assist in FAA modernization over tensions between the countries over the Falkland Islands. The UK has also managed to veto the sale of Gripen E/Fs, as 30% of the Gripen's parts are manufactured there. The deal with Israel has reportedly stalled for technical and political reasons. China has allegedly offered JF-17 /FC-1's and Chengdu J-10 's to Argentina. The two countries have formed

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6820-409: The UK's Royal Air Force initiating Operation Black Buck , in which the Avro Vulcan bomber XM607 attacked military air bases on the islands. The Task Force then sent Sea Harriers to attack positions at Stanley and Goose Green, where the first Argentine casualties occurred. The Argentine Air Force reacted by sending multiple IAI Dagger, A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft, and Mirage III interceptors into

6930-485: The US was reportedly supporting the sale in order to avoid the possibility that Argentina would turn to China for its fighter aircraft, it was anticipated that the United Kingdom would urge Denmark not to make the sale. It was also unclear whether the combined acquisition cost (of $ 447 million USD) would be considered affordable by Argentina. On 11 October 2023, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security Mira Resnick confirmed to Jorge Argüello , Argentinean ambassador to

7040-418: The US, that the State Department has approved the transfer of 38 F-16s from Denmark. In March 2024, it was reported that the number of aircraft had been reduced to 24 but that discussions on concluding the deal would be initiated. On March 26, 2024, the Danish Defence Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, signed a letter of intent with his Argentine counterpart to transfer the aircraft. The Argentine Air Force (FAA)

7150-502: The United States. By 1938–39, Argentina's air power consisted of roughly 3,200 personnel (including about 200 officers) and maintained approximately 230 aircraft. Roughly 150 of these were operated by the army and included Dewoitine D.21 and Curtiss P-36 Hawk fighters; Breguet 19 reconnaissance planes; Northrop A-17 and Martin B-10 bombers, North American NA-16 trainers, Focke-Wulf Fw 58 multi-role planes, Junkers Ju 52 transports, and Fairchild 82s . Approximately 80 out of

7260-455: The aircraft were supplied by the U.K., the aircraft could not be exported to Argentina. Britain similarly blocked the potential sale of Brazilian license-built Saab Gripen aircraft to Argentina, given that some avionics were of British origin. Argentina was now said to be exploring the potential acquisition of aircraft from Russia, China, India or Pakistan . However, even sales of Chinese aircraft reportedly encountered potential problems since

7370-462: The appearance of St. Elmo's fire during some of these storms, which was regarded as a good omen by the crew: During these storms the body of St. Anselme appeared to us several times; amongst others, one night that it was very dark on account of the bad weather, the said saint appeared in the form of a fire lighted at the summit of the mainmast, and remained there near two hours and a half, which comforted us greatly, for we were in tears, only expecting

7480-423: The arrival of new Beechcraft TC-12B Hurons. In June 2023, Argentina received an additional leased C-130 from the US, bringing the total number of operational C-130 to five aircraft. At the same time, the Biden administration asked Congress to approve the potential sale of former Royal Danish Air Force F-16s , as well as former Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, to Argentina. While

7590-456: The beauty and richness of the Spice Islands . These letters likely motivated Magellan to plan an expedition to the islands and would later be presented to Spanish officials when Magellan sought their sponsorship. Historians speculate that, beginning in 1514, Magellan repeatedly petitioned King Manuel I of Portugal to fund an expedition to the Moluccas, though records are unclear. It is known that Manuel repeatedly denied Magellan's requests for

7700-410: The bi-motor fighter I.Ae. 30 Ñancú , and the assault glider I.Ae. 25 Mañque ; and the production twin-engine I.Ae. 35 Huanquero transport, the I. Ae 22 DL advanced trainer, and the I.Ae 24 Calquín twin-engine attack-bomber; as well as rockets, and planes for civilian use (like the FMA 20 El Boyero ). The Argentine Air Force came into active operation for the first time on June 16, 1955, during

7810-409: The circumnavigation. Magellan himself died in battle in the Philippines and was succeeded as captain-general by a series of officers, with Elcano eventually leading the Victoria ' s return trip. The expedition was funded mostly by King Charles I of Spain , with the hope that it would discover a profitable western route to the Spice Islands, as the eastern route was controlled by Portugal under

7920-418: The coast for signs of a passage. In addition to the hazards of shallow waters, the fleet encountered squalls , storms, and dropping temperatures as they continued south and winter set in. By the third week of March, weather conditions had become so desperate that Magellan decided they should find a safe harbour in which to wait out the winter before resuming the search for a passage in spring. On 31 March 1520,

8030-565: The coast of Africa. There was some disagreement over directions, with Cartagena arguing for a more westerly bearing. Magellan made the unorthodox decision to follow the African coast in order to evade the Portuguese caravels which were pursuing him. Toward the end of October, as the Armada approached the equator, they experienced a series of storms, with such intense squalls that they were sometimes forced to strike their sails. Pigafetta recorded

8140-605: The cost of the ships at 1,369,808 maravedis, with another 1,346,781 spent on outfitting and transporting them. The crew consisted of about 270 men, mostly Spaniards. Spanish authorities were wary of Magellan, so that they almost prevented him from sailing, switching his mostly Portuguese crew to mostly men of Spain. In the end, the fleet included about 40 Portuguese, among them Magellan's brother-in-law Duarte Barbosa , João Serrão , Estêvão Gomes and Magellan's indentured servant Enrique of Malacca . Crew members of other nations were also recorded, including 29 Italians, 17 French, and

8250-441: The cost of the ships. Four-fifths of the food on the ship consisted of just two items – wine and hardtack . The fleet also carried flour and salted meat. Some of the ships' meat came in the form of livestock; the ship carried seven cows and three pigs. Cheese, almonds, mustard, and figs were also present. Carne de membrillo , made from preserved quince , was a delicacy enjoyed by captains which may have unknowingly aided in

8360-511: The day that we arrived it began to rain, on which account the people of the said place said that we came from heaven, and had brought the rain with us, which was great simplicity, and these people were easily converted to the Christian faith. The fleet spent 13 days in Rio, during which they repaired their ships, stocked up on water and food (such as yam, cassava, and pineapple), and interacted with

8470-498: The desired effect. Increasing tensions between mariners and gentlemen explorers brought the prospect of mutiny about a month later. Drake used a sermon to make a speech laying down rules of conduct, with himself in sole command. In August they went on to the Strait of Magellan. The settlement of Floridablanca , a short lived Spanish colony of approximately 150 people, was founded not far from San Julián in 1780 by King Charles III . It

8580-747: The ejector seats of the aircraft were the MK6, manufactured by Martin-Baker in the UK. Early in 2021, Russia made several proposals related to the acquisition of aircraft by Argentina including the apparent offer of MiG-35 fighters. These built on earlier offers of the MiG-29 as well as on measures being undertaken to extend the life of Mi-17 1E helicopters acquired by Argentina in 2010 to support operations in Antarctica . To improve transport capabilities, two Fokker F-28 aircraft which had been decommissioned in 2019, have been refurbished and put into service,

8690-465: The episode, Cartagena was placed in stocks . Magellan could have tried Cartagena for mutiny and sentenced him to death, but at the urging of Quesada and Mendoza, he agreed to merely relieve Cartagena of his command of the San Antonio and allow him to move freely within the confines of the Victoria . Antonio de Coca replaced Cartagena as captain of the San Antonio . Some details about the sodomy trial and its aftermath are disputed. Salomon Antón's name

8800-721: The expedition, responsible for its financial and trading operations. On 10 August 1519, the five ships under Magellan's command left Seville and descended the Guadalquivir River to Sanlúcar de Barrameda , at the mouth of the river. There they remained more than five weeks. Finally they set sail on 20 September 1519 and left Spain. On 26 September, the fleet stopped at Tenerife in the Canary Islands , where they took in supplies (including vegetable and pitch , which were cheaper to acquire there than in Spain). During

8910-426: The favourable conditions that Serrano found at Santa Cruz, Magellan decided to move the fleet there for the rest of the austral winter. After almost five months at St. Julian, the fleet left for Santa Cruz around 24 August. They spent six weeks at Santa Cruz before resuming their search for the strait. Argentine Air Force The Argentine Air Force ( Spanish : Fuerza Aérea Argentina , or simply FAA )

9020-548: The first time it entered combat. During 1952, the Air Force started supplying the Antarctic scientific bases using ski-equipped Douglas C-47s . Previously, President Juan Perón had created the Antarctic Task Forces (FATA, Fuerzas de Tareas Antárticas ) to fulfill this purpose. In 1970, the Air Force began operating C-130 Hercules aircraft into Antarctica. The Fokker F-28 Fellowship presidential aircraft

9130-460: The fleet he was deeply in debt, and he turned to the House of Fugger . Through archbishop Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca , head of the Casa de Contratación, the Crown obtained the participation of merchant Cristóbal de Haro , who provided a quarter of the funds and goods to barter. Expert cartographers Jorge Reinel and Diego Ribero , a Portuguese who had started working for King Charles in 1518 as

9240-419: The fleet left Rio de Janeiro. Pigafetta wrote that the natives were disappointed to see them leave, and that some followed them in canoes trying to entice them to stay. Just before sailing, Magellan replaced Antonio de Coca, the fleet accountant who had briefly assumed command of San Antonio from Cartagena, with the inexperienced Álvaro de Mezquita who originally had shipped out aboard the flagship from Seville as

9350-431: The fleet reached Rio de Janeiro. Though nominally Portuguese territory, they maintained no permanent settlement there at the time. Seeing no Portuguese ships in the harbour, Magellan knew it would be safe to stop. Pigafetta wrote of a coincidence of weather that caused the armada to be warmly received by the indigenous people: It is to be known that it happened that it had not rained for two months before we came there, and

9460-404: The fleet's five ships. Only the Santiago (commanded by Juan Serrano ) remained loyal to Magellan, along with the flag ship, the Trinidad , which Magellan commanded. The mutineers aimed the San Antonio' s cannon at the Trinidad but made no further overtures during the night. The following morning (2 April), while the mutineers attempted to consolidate their forces aboard the San Antonio and

9570-616: The fray. The Mirage III went into combat with the Harriers on Bourbon Island, with one Mirage lost to a Harrier. On May 21, the Battle of San Carlos ("Bomb Alley") began once the Air Force attacked a detachment of British ships involved in the landing in the San Carlos Water. The Dagger and Skyhawk aircraft sank three British ships (HMS Coventry , a Type 42 destroyer; and two frigates, HMS Antelope and HMS Ardent ). On June 8,

9680-444: The harbour, arriving on 15 June 1578 and also choosing to overwinter. They found the remains of the gallows where Magellan had executed mutineers. Drake had also been having difficulty with discontent during the voyage, and charged his friend Thomas Doughty with treachery and incitement to mutiny. A trial found Doughty guilty, but only on the mutiny charge. At Drake's insistence, Doughty was beheaded, but this stern example did not have

9790-504: The hour of perishing; and when that holy light was going away from us it gave out so great a brilliancy in the eyes of each, that we were near a quarter-of-an-hour like people blinded, and calling out for mercy. For without any doubt nobody hoped to escape from that storm. After two weeks of storms, the fleet spent some time stalled in calm, equatorial waters before being carried west by the South Equatorial Current to

9900-518: The last one (TC-53) in early August 2021. In mid 2021, one analysis found that the numbers of operational aircraft with offensive combat capability were practically at a level of zero. In addition to only around six A-4 Fightinghawk aircraft being operational, the availability of C-130 transport aircraft was only assessed as being at six of originally 14 aircraft. However, 23 IA-63 Pampa , 12 T-6C+ Texan II and 12 EMB-312 Tucano trainer aircraft were reported operational as of 2021. In September 2021,

10010-430: The locals. The expedition had brought with them a great quantity of trinkets intended for trade, such as mirrors, combs, knives and bells. The locals readily exchanged food and local goods (such as parrot feathers) for such items. The crew also found they could purchase sexual favours from the local women. Historian Ian Cameron described the crew's time in Rio as "a saturnalia of feasting and lovemaking". On 27 December,

10120-640: The mandate of the Department of War. This later became the Argentine Air Force by decree on 4 January 1945, which also created the Secretary of Aeronautics ( Secretaría de Aeronáutica ). At the end of World War II , the Air Force began a process of modernization . This 'golden age' (roughly 1945–1955) was ushered in by the availability of foreign currency in Argentina, an abundance of now-unemployed aerospace engineers from Germany, Italy, and France, and

10230-650: The media reported that up to 10 FA-50s were considered. Despite elections coming in October 2019, the deal had been expected to go through. An Argentine delegation first visited the Republic of Korea Air Force in September 2016. At that time an FAA pilot was able to test fly the TA-50 Golden Eagle operational trainer variant of the FA-50. However, the deal appeared to have been canceled in early 2020, leaving

10340-485: The men arrived at St. Julian, exhausted and emaciated. Magellan sent a rescue party of 24 men over land to Santa Cruz. The other 35 survivors from the Santiago remained at Santa Cruz for two weeks. They were unable to retrieve any supplies from the wreck of the Santiago , but managed to build huts and fire, and subsist on a diet of shellfish and local vegetation. The rescue party found them all alive but exhausted, and they returned to St. Julian safely. After learning of

10450-427: The prevention of scurvy . The fleet initially consisted of five ships, with Trinidad being the flagship . All or most were carracks (Spanish "carraca" or "nao"; Portuguese "nau"). The Victoria was the only ship to complete the circumnavigation. Details of the ships' configuration are not known, as no contemporary illustrations exist of any of the ships. The official accounting of the Casa de Contratación put

10560-456: The rest in storage at Villa Reynolds . When Barack Obama visited in March 2016, Air Force One was accompanied by US Air Force F-16s because Argentina could only offer Pucarás and Pampas for air defense. As of July 2019, the Argentine Air Force and government selected the KAI FA-50 as its interim fighter. With this act being the first step in modernizing the fighter force and replacing

10670-812: The same number as their mother Brigade . These groups include: The Personnel Command ( Comando de Personal ) is responsible for the training, education, assignment, and welfare of Air Force personnel. Under the control of the Personnel Command are the Military Aviation School (which educates the future officers of the Air Force), the Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) School, and other educational and training units. The Materiel Command ( Comando de Material ) deals with planning and executing

10780-494: The service of Spain. Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese sailor with previous military experience in India, Malacca , and Morocco. A friend, and possible cousin, with whom Magellan sailed, Francisco Serrão , was part of the first expedition to the Moluccas , leaving from Malacca in 1511. Serrão reached the Moluccas, going on to stay on the island of Ternate and take a wife. Serrão sent letters to Magellan from Ternate, extolling

10890-535: The stop, Magellan received a secret message from his brother-in-law, Diogo Barbosa , warning him that some of the Castilian captains were planning a mutiny, with Juan de Cartagena (captain of the San Antonio ) being the ring-leader of the conspiracy. He also learned that the King of Portugal had sent two fleets of caravels to arrest him. On 3 October, the fleet departed the Canary Islands, sailing south along

11000-482: The strategic and political situation in South America he further commented that: “There are no war problems, peace is the common denominator between us.” It was simultaneously confirmed that the fighter aircraft replacement program had been stopped. In early 2023, Argentina confirmed the purchase of six Bell 407 for the Armed Forces and plans for the modernization of its inventory of Hughes 500Ds pending

11110-545: The trial. The date of the trial is also given as September. On 29 November, the fleet reached the approximate latitude of Cape Saint Augustine . The coastline of Brazil (which Pigafetta refers to as Verzin in his diary, after the Italian term for brazilwood ) had been known to the Spanish and Portuguese since about 1500, and in the intervening decades, European powers (particularly Portugal) had been sending ships to Brazil to collect valuable brazilwood. The Armada carried

11220-574: The uncivilized Patagón in Vázquez's book. Novelist and travel writer Bruce Chatwin suggests etymological roots of both Patagon and Patagonia in his book, In Patagonia , noting the similarity between "Patagon" and the Greek word παταγος, which means "a roaring" or "gnashing of teeth" (in his chronicle, Pigafetta describes the Patagonians as "roaring like bulls"). At the start of April, Magellan

11330-451: The vicinity of the trade winds . During the ocean crossing, the Victoria ' s Sicilian master, Salomon Antón was caught in an act of sodomy with a Genoese apprentice sailor, António Varesa, off the coast of Guinea . At the time, sodomy was punishable by death in Spain, though in practice, sex between men was a common occurrence on long naval voyages. Magellan held a trial on board

11440-474: The winter and made to perform the hard work of careening the ships, repairing their structure and scrubbing the bilge . In late April, Magellan dispatched the Santiago , captained by Juan Serrano , from St. Julian to scout to the south for a strait. On 3 May, they reached the estuary of a river which Serrano named Santa Cruz River . The estuary provided shelter and was well situated with natural resources including fish, penguins, and wood. After more than

11550-652: The years following World War I , the predecessor to the Argentine Air Force received various aircraft from France and Italy. In 1922, the Escuela Militar de Aviación was temporarily disbanded, resulting in the formation of Grupo 1 de Aviación ('Aviation Group One') as an operational unit. During 1925, the Escuela Militar de Aviación was reopened, and the Grupo 3 de Observación ('Observation Group Three') created, with Grupo 1 de Aviación becoming known as Grupo 1 de Observación shortly after. In 1927,

11660-573: Was abandoned by 1784, and its ruins were rediscovered during the 1980s. The port continued in use, and the young naturalist Charles Darwin arrived with the Beagle survey expedition under captain Robert FitzRoy in January 1834. While HMS Beagle carried out its hydrographic survey, Darwin explored the local geology in cliffs near the harbour and found fossils of pieces of spine and

11770-411: Was beheaded by his foster-brother and secretary, Luis Molina, who acted as executioner in exchange for clemency. The bodies of Quesada and Mendoza were drawn and quartered and displayed on gibbets for the following three months. San Martín, suspected of involvement in the conspiracy, was tortured by strappado , but afterwards was allowed to continue his service as cosmographer. Cartagena, along with

11880-529: Was called the Armada del Maluco , or Armada de Molucca, after the Indonesian name for the Spice Islands. The ships were mostly black, due to the tar covering most of their surface. The official accounting of the expedition put the cost at 8,751,125 maravedis , including the ships, provisions, and salaries. Food was a hugely important part of the provisioning. It cost 1,252,909 maravedis, almost as much as

11990-428: Was faced by a mutiny led by his captains at midnight on Easter Sunday (20 April in 1520), but succeeded in overcoming it, executing mutineers including one captain and leaving another behind. He left the port on 21 August 1520 and on 21 October found the eastern entrance to the passageway he was looking for, the strait that now bears his name. Fifty-eight years later Francis Drake during his circumnavigation reached

12100-567: Was known in the argot of the day) was an important sheep-raising region, and the "Swift" company installed a frigorifico, or freezer plant complex, along the coast to the north of the city itself. During the 1982 Falklands War ( Spanish : Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur ), as San Julian is one of the nearest point to the islands, the city airfield was used by the Argentine Air Force . Two fighter squadrons, flying Daggers and A-4 Skyhawks , made 149 sorties against

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