MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina takes IA-63 to Santiago Air Fair in search of buyers

The new Pampa has more components made in Argentina which replace imported ones

Argentina's Defense Minister Jorge Taiana is to head the country's delegation at the Argentine ward of the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE) in Santiago, Chile, where he will try to attract potential customers for the IA-63 jet trainer Pampa.

Argentina is represented at FIDAE by FAdeA and Invap, as private companies of the Argentine Chamber of Aeronautics and Space (CArAE). The event is taking place at the Pudahuel Air Base, in the northern sector of Santiago's Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, which spans through April 10.

The biannual international exhibition has more than 400 exhibitors and more than 200 delegations from 50 countries, which makes it a unique opportunity to display the country's aerospace products and services.

Argentina is hoping to export FAdeA's IA-63 Pampa III Block II aircraft, the latest version of the jet trainer, which will be displayed in static and in-flight modes showing their operational qualities, and also the country's latest development: the single-engine IA-100 Malvina.

The new Pampa features simulating software that allows pilots to recreate sensors and armament used in real air-to-air combat and air-to-ground missions, among other improvements from its earlier versions of decades ago.

The aircraft also includes 19% of made-in-Argentina components to replace imported ones.

Last month, the commander of the US 12th Air Force (Air Force South), Major General Barry Cornish was taken for a ride aboard the Pampa at the El Plumerillo base in Mendoza. Cornish was welcomed by Argentine Air Force Chief, Brigadier General Xavier Julián Isaac.

During FIDAE, FAdeA will showcase its capacity and experience in the design and manufacture of aerostructures. As Embraer's partner and supplier in the KC-390 military transport aircraft program, it produces six main assemblies for that aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force. The Argentine Air Force deployed one of the four modernized Hercules C-130s at the Cordoba plant, as an example of the plant's certification as a Lockheed Martin authorized service center for the maintenance of this type of aircraft.

INVAP has mobilized an INVAP RPA-170M radar with its technical equipment and operators. It is a state-of-the-art medium-range 3D tactical mobile air defense radar, designed for control and air defense missions for low speed and low altitude targets, the type of flight used in border incursion crimes (smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and others).