The C-130 Hercules is the workhorse of many air arms, not least with the Fuerza Aérea Argentina. Here it has performed sterling service in some incredible and unexpected roles, as Esteban G Brea discovers.
Argentine military aviation was born in the small town of El Palomar. Sitting on the edge of the city of Buenos Aires, its past has given it a rich history and it retains its importance today as the home of the I Brigada Aérea (1st Air Brigade) of the Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentine Air Force). This wing is the FAA’s main transport unit, with the resident Grupo Aéreo 1 (1st Air Group) consisting of a pair of squadrons. I Escuadrón flies three variants of the Hercules, with II Escuadrón being the last custodian of the Fokker F28-1000C, the final example of which was being reactivated last November.
With the FAA Fokker F27s having bowed out in 2016, the importance of the C-130s – locally known as ‘Chanchas’ (pigs) – has never been greater. They truly are the backbone of the FAA.
Argentina first expressed interest in the Hercules in 1961, but a plan to acquire C-130Bs failed. Following the Cuban Missile Crisis in November 1962, the Organization of American States activated the Inter-American Tr…
