Argentine President Javier Milei’s government has plans to help Ukraine in its war against Russia and that means passing on five Dassault Super Etendard attack jets to the European country.
According to InfoBae, Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri has already held meetings with members of NATO and the French government, which would receive the aircraft purchased in 2019 back in exchange for other weapons.
France’s intermediation is necessary because the Super Etendards could not be put into service due to the absence of the Martin Baker ejection seat firing device.
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The British company is prohibited from supporting Argentina as part of sanctions established by the United Kingdom since the Falklands War in 1982.
The five jets were assembled and carried out tests on the ground, while the Argentine Navy tried an alternative solution to operate them safely.
Returned to France, the Super Etendard could receive the device and be used in anti-ship missions, equipped with the Exocet missile.
British ships sunk in the Falklands War
Despite Milei’s wishes, the plan is considered of little use to the Ukrainian armed forces as the small fleet would not compensate for the investment in training pilots and ground personnel.
Despite this, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on June 6 that he intends to donate some Mirage 2000-5 fighters to Ukraine in the near future. The supersonic jet was also developed by the same Dassault that supplied the Super Etendard.
The Argentine Navy operated 14 French attack jets starting in 1979, when the United States imposed an embargo on A-4 Skyhawk jets.
During the Falklands War, the Super Etendard and the Exocet missile became famous for sinking the destroyer HMS Sheffield and the merchant ship Atlantic Convenyor, used by the British Royal Navy.
The remaining planes were removed from service in 2014.
