IA 58 Pucará

The IA‑58 Pucará is a twin‑engine, turboprop attack aircraft designed and built by Fábrica Argentine de Aviones (FAdeA) in the late 1960s. Developed to replace aging piston‑engine trainers and light attack types, the Pucará first flew on 23 September 1969 and entered service with the Argentine Air Force in 1974. Its rugged airframe, low‑wing monoplane layout, and high‑mounted straight wings give it excellent low‑speed handling and short‑field capability, essential for counter‑insurgency and close‑air‑support missions. Powered by two Turbomeca Astazou X turboprops, the aircraft can reach 500 km/h and carry up to 1 800 kg of ordnance on four under‑wing hardpoints, plus internal cannons—usually two 20 mm Oerlikon or 7.62 mm machine guns mounted in the nose. The Pucará proved its combat value during the Falklands War, where it conducted night strikes and reconnaissance despite heavy anti‑aircraft fire. Over the decades it has been exported to countries such as Colombia, Peru and Uruguay, and continues to serve in a training and border‑patrol role. Its longevity underscores a successful indigenous design that blended simplicity, survivability, and versatility, making the IA‑58 a notable example of South American aerospace achievement.

Fábrica Argentina de Aviones

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