The IA-63 Pampa is an advanced

jet trainer A jet trainer is a jet aircraft for use as a Trainer (aircraft), trainer, whether for basic or advanced flight training. Jet trainers are either custom designs or modifications of existing aircraft. With the introduction of military jet-powered ai ...

with combat capability, produced in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

by Fabrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA) with assistance from Dornier of

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Design and development

Preliminary design studies for a replacement for the Morane-Saulnier MS-760 of the

Argentine Air Force The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') 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 Brigadie ...

started at the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) in 1978, with these studies resulting in selection of a proposal powered by a single Garrett TFE731

turbofan A turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a combination of references to the preceding generation engine technology of the turbojet and the add ...

with high, unswept wings. At the same time the FMA signed a partnership agreement with Dornier to develop the new aircraft.Flores 1987, pp. 59–60. Although influenced by the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet design, the Pampa differs in being a smaller aircraft, it is also single-engined and has straight supercritical wings rather than the swept ones of the Alpha Jet. It is constructed mainly of

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

alloy, with carbon-fibre used for components such as the air intakes. The crew of two sit in

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...

under a single-piece clamshell canopy.Flores 1987, p.64. The

avionics Avionics (a portmanteau of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the ...

systems are also simpler than the Franco-German aircraft, which has an important secondary combat role. The Pampa prototype first flew on 6 October 1984.Flores 1987, p.66.

Variants

;IA-63 :Production of the initial series has been delayed and hampered by the state of the Argentinian economy, and as a result only 18 production aircraft have been built in the first batch (1988–90) and six in the second batch (2006–07) for the

. First deliveries occurred in April 1988.Taylor 1999, p.1. The 18 aircraft are in service, all modernized, with the ''IV Brigada Aérea'' () at Mendoza for the advanced training role of Argentine pilots. ;Vought Pampa 2000 :In the 1990s, LTV/

Vought Vought was the name of several related American aerospace firms. These have included, in the past, Lewis and Vought Corporation, Chance Vought, Vought-Sikorsky, LTV Aerospace (part of Ling-Temco-Vought), Vought Aircraft Companies, and Vought ...

selected the IA 63 as the basis for the Pampa 2000, which Vought entered into the

Joint Primary Aircraft Training System The Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) was an aircraft procurement program of the United States in the 1990s by the United States Air Force and United States Navy, a merger of 1980s era training aircraft programs. The winner was dec ...

competition for the

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.Lambert 1992, p. 2. The Pampa 2000 lost to the Beechcraft/Raytheon entry which became the T-6 Texan II. ;AT-63 Pampa "Phase 2" :With the acquisition of FMA by

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

in 1995, the Pampa was upgraded with a new engine and a more advanced avionics package compatible with the A-4AR and weapons system. This new project was called AT-63 Pampa "Phase 2" (for attack trainer) and was marketed by Lockheed Martin. ;IA-63 Pampa GT "Phase 3" :A third batch of forty new units of the redesigned Pampa was announced by FAdeA on 10 October 2013. After a long delay, finally in 2015 a prototype of the third version of the IA-63 Pampa was introduced to the press. However, rampant inflation and a severe recession have made impossible for the Argentine government to finance the manufacturing of any of the promised planes. In 2016, a new Argentinian government allowed progress to be made and the first flight of the "Pampa III" took place the same year. As of July 2017, the IA-63 Pampa III project shows few signs of progress. According to the

AirForces Monthly ''Air Forces Monthly'' (AFM) is a military aviation magazine published by Key Publishing Ltd, based at Stamford in the English county of Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. Established in 1988, the magazine provides news and analysis on mi ...

magazine, FAdeA is considering cannibalising Pampa II aircraft withdrawn from service in order to enable completion of the three Pampa IIIs scheduled for 2017. :The Argentine Ministry of Defence reached a deal worth $30.3 million with FAdeA for the production of an additional three Phase 3 Pampas in February 2018, after the deal was first revealed in December 2017. The first Pampa III, serial E-824, made its maiden flight on 21 September 2018. :The first two Pampa III aircraft were delivered to the Argentine Air Force in February 2019. The last of a total of 6 Pampa III's was delivered on 27 March 2020. :On 3 July 2019,

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

signed a contract worth $28 million for two Pampa III jet trainers. This made the Guatemalan Air Force the first export customer for the Pampa III. But one day after the purchase was made, the local representative of

Transparency International Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil s ...

accused President

Jimmy Morales James Ernesto Morales Cabrera (; born 18 March 1969) is a Guatemalan politician, actor, and comedian who served as the 50th president of Guatemala from 2016 to 2020. Early and personal life Morales was born in Guatemala City to José Everar ...

of avoiding local legislation on public purchases. This led to the auditor general of Guatemala to cancel the purchase. According to FAdeA, they are still trying to unlock the purchase, and the Argentine government is considering taking legal actions. ;LMAASA IA 63 Pampa NG: Lockheed Martin collaboration to produce updated Pampas.

Specifications (IA 63)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Flores, Jackson, (Jr). "The Pampa...A Tutor with a Teutonic Flavour". ''Air International'', February 1987, Vol 32 No. 2. Bromley, UK:Fine Scroll. . pp. 59–66, 90. * Lambert, Mark (ed.) ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1992–93''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1992. . * Rivas, Santiago. "Pampas head for higher ground". ''Air International'', November 2020, Vol. 99, No. 5. pp. 42–47. * Taylor, John W.R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89''. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Defence Data, 1988. . * Taylor, Michael J.H. ''Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000''. London:Brassey's, 1999. .

External links

AT-63 Official page
at Lockheed Martin website (archived 2008-01-01)

News on first flight of Pampa III - La Nacion newspaper, 31 March 2016
(accessed 2016-12-11) {{use dmy dates, date=March 2015 1980s Argentine military trainer aircraft FMA aircraft Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear High-wing aircraft Single-engined jet aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1984