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The Witch’s Toad: The Martinez y Schafer Bruja
in FAA and CANA service The driving snow of an Antarctic blizzard was no place for an aircraft, especially not one on the wrong side of the border the British claimed for their Antarctic Territories, but raging winds or not, this was where they were needed. Infra-red was useless and even if they had dared use millimetre wave or LADAR the sensors wouldn’t have helped much. Capitan de Corbeta Guillermo Cruz had his head wedged against the side of the Toad’s left canopy, Teniente de Navio Ernestine Palmer mimicking his position on the right hand side, both staring into the darkness and hoping to spot either the beacon or the ground before they hit anything more solid than a snow-flurry. “There!” Ernestine called and Guillermo craned his head to see. He caught the flash of the beacon and pivoted them towards the strobe, simultaneously flaring the aircraft to drain off momentum as he started the tilt-wing into its transition. Now was the moment of maximum danger, the aircraft dependent on a mix of thrust and lift that changed from moment to moment, just as did the wind. He worked the Toad as though she were a lover, drawing her maximum performance from her, holding her against the gusts until they were safe in the hover. They edged forwards until the men clustered around the beacon could be seen. White-clad, laden with weapons, the Buzos Tacticos were the elite of the elite in a country that cherished elites. But there were only seven of them, there should have been twelve, and two of the seven were being held up by their team-mates. Guillermo hit the button to lower the ramp as he dropped the Toad to the ground a scant few yards in front of the spec-ops team. “Help the loadies get them aboard,” he ordered Ernestine as he watched the team stagger forward towards the ramp. They had to do this quick, the storm offered some cover, but if the five missing men were any indication then somewhere in the storm clouds above the British would be waiting. Blood on the Snow: Britain, Argentina and the Undeclared War Lauren Tailyour, Armories Press US, 2301
The Martinez y Schafer Bruja is Argentina’s most
versatile military aircraft, serving the Fuerza Aerea Argentina and Comando
Aviacion Naval Argentina in roles as disparate as strategic bomber and tactical
transport. The Bruja is a large, four-engined aircraft produced in two major
variants, the STOL variant typified by the Bruja-B strategic bomber and the
Bruja-E STOVL special operations variants that are infamous for incursions into
Brazil or the British South Atlantic Territories. Both versions share the same
basic fuselage (although the actual fuselage length varies between variants), a
flattened, tailless structure made memorable only by the two bug-eyed cockpits
located far forward in the nose. The bulged canopies are located as far to the
sides as possible, allowing the pilots to look almost vertically downwards,
considerably increasing the comfort factor when dropping the Bruja into a
tight, improvised landing zone. The bug-eyed look this gives the aircraft is
responsible for its universal nickname of ‘Sapo’ (Toad). Internally the
airframes are somewhat less similar than meets the eye, the –E series fuselage
has considerably more attention paid to stealthing than the –B series, which
nevertheless has to be considered quite stealthy in its own right. Mounted at
top and bottom of the fuselage on all variants of the Bruja are the emitter
turrets for a pair of Guarda Point Defense Lasers intended for close-range
anti-missile work. The basic wingform is also common to both variants,
an aft-mounted forward-swept wing balanced by two all-flying canards located a
couple of metres behind the cockpits. In both variants the wing is also a
tiltwing, but in the Bruja-E variants the wing is able to tilt past 90 degrees,
giving full VTOL capability (though with a uniquely nose down attitude due to
centre-of-gravity issues), whereas in the Bruja-B the maximum wing tilt is only
30 degrees limiting the aircraft to STOL operations. The wings of both variants mount engines at tip and mid-span, but it is the engines themselves that are the most obvious difference between the two. In the Bruja-B the engines are conventional high-efficiency turbofans, in the Bruja-E they are shrouded geared turbofans optimised for ultra-low signature – in fact the manufacturer brags that they cannot be heard over normal conversation beyond a hundred metres. The higher-drag engines mean the Bruja-E is considerably slower than the –B, but this is not normally considered to be a weakness. Instructors on the Bruja-E conversion course are adamant that a Toad that needs extra speed is doing something wrong.
The Bruja-E airframe is produced in two variants. The
baseline Bruja-E is used as a transport for Ejercito and Marina spec-ops teams,
the Bruja-ET is a special operations command and tanker aircraft used as a
formation lead aircraft on multi-aircraft or long endurance missions. Both FAA
and CANA maintain special operations Grupos specialising in the penetration
missions the Bruja-E was designed for. Bruja-Es have been operated from the
decks of Armada carriers and landing ships, but the lack of any wing folding
mechanism or lift small enough to strike them below means that such operations
are necessarily temporary in nature. Bruja-E Special Operations Transport Both the Bruja-E and –ET are armed, the Bruja-E
sporting three Tipo-12 50Mw Plasma Guns, one mounted beneath the nose in a
retractable turret slaved to the pilots’ helmet mounted sights, the others
mounted towards the rear of the fuselage in retractable powered mountings
controlled by the loadmasters. Each weapon feeds from a 200 round ammunition
hopper. Despite the considerable firepower these weapons offer they are
primarily intended to provide suppressive fire during the final moments of a
landing, a purpose for which the high rate of fire of the Tipo-12 is ideal. The
major offensive firepower of the Bruja-E lies in the missile bays located along
the bottom and sides of the fuselage, typically these carry 2 free-flight
decoys, 4 long-range Jaguar-3 AAMs, 4 ultra-agile Pantera-5 short range AAMs, 6
Corvo-ARM missiles intended for suppression of enemy air-defence complexes and
8 Corvo AVMs intended for direct support of the troops carried. The Bruja-E’s
cargo bay can carry 60 fully equipped troops or a single medium sized vehicle. The avionics fit of both Bruja-E variants is as good
as they come, offering multi-frequency active and passive EM sensors, an
advanced inertial platform theoretically capable of flying the aircraft blind
from one side of the planet to the other with a cumulative position error
measured in millimetres and a very sophisticated EW suite with considerable
active countermeasures capability. The EW suite is sufficiently sophisticated
that a fifth crewman (beyond the pilots and loadmasters) is carried to provide
a dedicated electronic battlespace manager. Standard practise is to refer to
this crewman as the navigator, although he has no true navigational function he
is responsible for real-time updates to the pre-planned mission as additional
threats reveal themselves to his sensors. The navigator’s position is located
behind and below the pilots and is universally known as the black hole. Two
further operator consoles located in the black hole allow the Bruja-E to
provide an airborne command post capability for the ground mission commanders. Type: Special Forces STOVL Transport Nation: Argentina Only Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, 2 Loadmasters, Navigator, 2 Mission Commanders Weight: 25,000kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: Three Tipo 12 Plasma Guns (Forward 270 degrees arc, Left side, Right
side) with 500 rounds per gun 2 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 4 * Jaguar-3 MRAAM 4 * Pantera-5 SRAAM 6 * Corvo-ARM 8 * Corvo AVM 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Cargo: 60 troops or 20,000Kg of cargo or one medium sized vehicle or two light vehicles Evasion: 16 Sensor Range: 250km (+4) Signature: -4 Max Speed: 850 kph Cruising Speed: 750 kph Combat Movement: 1700m Endurance: 6 Hours without air refuelling Price: Lv 5,500,000 Bruja-ET Special Operations Command Tanker The Bruja-ET’s armament trades off the loadmasters’
Tipo-12s for license built Dunarmco-12 HMGs--even with 2000 rounds of
ammunition in the hopper the Dunarmcos are considerably lighter than the
plasma-guns. Similarly the missile load of the –ET is reduced to 2 Jaguars, 4
Panteras and 4 Corvos, although a second pair of decoys is added. Equally the
cargo-bay is reduced in size by a third, limiting the load to only 20 troops or
a considerably smaller vehicle. This weight-saving allows the fuel-tankage of
the –ET to be greatly increased and wing-mounted pods contain the
hose-and-drogue system necessary for the –ET to function as a tanker for
Bruja-Es or other aircraft. Sufficient fuel is carried to completely refuel 3
Bruja-E aircraft, but standard practise is for the Bruja-ET to form part of the
assault formation rather than operate as a pure tanker, which means one refuel
must normally be reserved for the aircraft’s own use. The weight of the fully
loaded tanker means that it is restricted to STOL mode until it has offloaded
at least a third of its onboard load. Type: Special Forces STOVL Tanker Transport Nation: Argentina Only Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, 2 Loadmasters, Navigator, 2 Mission Commanders Weight: 24,500kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: Three Dunarmco Mini-12 HMG (Forward 270 degrees arc, Left side, Right
side) with 2000 rounds per gun 4 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 2 * Jaguar-3 MRAAM 4 * Pantera-5 SRAAM 4 * Corvo AVM 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Cargo: Sufficient fuel to refuel 3
Brujas, plus 20 troops or 7,500Kg of cargo or one light vehicle Evasion: 16 Sensor Range: 250km (+4) Signature: -4 Max Speed: 850 kph Cruising Speed: 750 kph Combat Movement: 1700m Endurance: 6 Hours without air refuelling Price: Lv 5,750,000 The Bruja-B variation of the design is limited to
STOL operations by the wing and engine changes, but is also considerably faster
than the Bruja-E as a result. The basic airframe has been adapted to function
as a strategic bomber, a dedicated refuelling tanker, a maritime patrol
aircraft, a tactical transport, a SAR aircraft and an airborne command and
control aircraft. Bruja-BC Tactical Transport Aircraft The Bruja-B strategic-bomber is the baseline variant
for the sub-family, but by far the most common of the –B series (or any Bruja,
for that matter) is the Bruja-BC tactical transport, which is also by far the
most austere of the entire family in terms of sensors and avionics fit,
carrying only short range EM sensors. The –BC’s defensive fit is similarly
austere, carrying only two decoys and four Panteras (normally the semi-obsolete
Pantera-4). The crew is reduced to four, there being no need for the navigator.
A limited number of CANA Bruja-BCs operated by Esquadrilla 404 de Sosten
Logistico Movil have had the navigator position reinstated along with the navigation
avionics from the Bruja-E and these Bruja BC(N)s operate as lead-ships for
aircraft operating in the Atlantic or operating the airbridge between BA
Ushuia in Patagonia and BA Vice Comodoro
Matambio on the Antarctic Peninsula. Most FAA
Bruja-BCs spend their time flying into semi-improved strips in the Andes and
along the front-line with Brazil, their toughness and reliability have become
near legendary. Bruja-BCs of the Prefectura (Coastguard) Escuadron de
Transporte have a unique spray-rig integrated
into the wing structure for anti-pollution operations. Modular chemical tanks
can be loaded into the fuselage at need and the Escuadron de Transporte has recently been experimenting with using
fire-retardant chemicals through the spray rig to add fire-fighting to their
missions. Bruja-BCs have been extensively exported and are also used by LADE,
Argentina’s government owned airline for its operations in the remoter parts of
Patagonia. Type: STOL Transport Nation: Argentina and many others Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, 2 Loadmasters, Navigator (BC(N) only) Weight: 32,000kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: 2 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 4 * Pantera-4 SRAAM 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Cargo: 80 troops or 30,000Kg of cargo or one medium and one light vehicle or three light vehicles Evasion: 10 Sensor Range: 75km (+2) Signature: 4 Max Speed: 1250 kph Cruising Speed: 1000 kph Combat Movement: 2500m Endurance: 6 Hours without air refuelling Price: Lv 1,750,000 Bruja-BT Tanker Aircraft
Sharing most commonality with the Bruja-BC is the –BT
tanker variant. This squeezes even more fuel than the –ET aboard, being capable
of refuelling as many as 15 fighter sized aircraft. As tanker orbits are a very
tempting target for opposing air forces the –BT has a rather more extensive
avionics fit than the –BC and adds 4 Jaguar-3s to the weapons load. Crew of the
BC comprises pilot, co-pilot and refuelling operator (in the black hole),
however bunk space immediately behind the cockpit allows a complete second crew
to be carried for extended duration missions. The refuelling operator also has
the ability to assume command of Petrel tanker drones at need, although these usually
operate completely autonomously. Two Bruja-BT’s operated by the Prefectura for
SAR support of the Antarctic air link have been uniquely modified with the
navigation system from the Bruja-E for use during long range SAR operations,
these two aircraft are designation as the Bruja-BT(N) Type: STOL Tanker Nation: Argentina, Chile and others Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Refuelling Operator, Navigator (BT(N) only),
optional complete second crew Weight: 35,000kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: 2 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 4 * Jaguar-3 MRAAM 4 * Pantera-4 SRAAM 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Cargo: Sufficient fuel to refuel 15 fighter sized aircraft Evasion: 12 Sensor Range: 175km (+2) Signature: 4 Max Speed: 1250 kph Cruising Speed: 1000 kph Combat Movement: 2500m Endurance: 6 Hours without air refuelling (able to refuel from onboard
tankage) Price: Lv 2,500,000 Bruja-BP Maritime Patrol Aircraft The Bruja-BP is the maritime patrol version of the
family with fuel tankage extended to allow 16-hour missions. Advanced sensors
allow surveillance of the air, surface and sub-surface battlespaces by the
mission crew of 9 (commander, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, 2
air surveillance technicians, 2 surface surveillance technicians, 2 sub-surface
surveillance technicians), while control of the aircraft rests with the flight
crew of pilot, co-pilot and navigator. Avionics includes a full
sonar-processing suite for the deployed sonobuoys, which comfortably outperform
shipboard systems of an earlier generation. Extensive bunkspace allows a
complete relief crew to be carried for long endurance missions and the aircraft
is capable of loitering on two engines for extended periods. The weapons load
of the Bruja-BP for an ASW mission typically includes two air-delivered Pez
Espada heavyweight torpedoes, two Pingüino Del Vuelo standoff carriers for
medium-weight torpedoes, four medium sonobuoys, eight light sonobuoys, and the
standard self-defence armament of two free-flight decoys and four Pantera-4
short range AAMs. On an AsuW tasking the two heavyweight torpedoes will
typically be replaced by two Conquistadore-2 heavy ASMs and one of the Pingüino
del Vuelos replaced by three Corvo AVMs. The mass of the weapon load, fuel and
sensors means that the Bruja-BP’s STOL performance is fairly marginal. After a
series of crashes CANA and FAA have declared the STOL capability to be ‘wartime
only’ and insisted that peacetime operations are made from a permanent
full-length runway. The only exception is for CANA aircraft operating in the
Argentinian Antarctic Territories, which operate under a special waiver. Type: STOL Maritime Patrol Aircraft Nation: Argentina, Chile, and others Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator, 9 Mission Crew, optional complete
second crew Weight: 37,500kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: 2 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 4 * Pantera-4 SRAAM 2 * Pez Espada air-delivered heavyweight torpedo 2 * Pingüino Del Vuelo standoff medium-weight torpedo 4 * Tipo 15 Medium sonobuoys 8 * Tipo 12 Light sonobuoys 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Evasion: 8 Sensor Range: 300km (+2) plus 5Km (+3) blue green laser (must be below 2000m altitude to use, water
penetration to Lloyds Class 3 depth (3000m) Signature: 3 Max Speed: 1100 kph Cruising Speed: 900 kph Loiter Speed: 400 kph (fuel usage halved) Combat Movement: 2200m Endurance: 16 Hours without air refuelling Price: Lv 3,250,000 Bruja-BE Airborne Surveillance and Command Aircraft The Bruja-BE AEW platform has considerable
commonality with the Bruja-BP, including the 16 hour unrefuelled endurance, but
is optimised for airspace and near-orbit surveillance. The mission crew
comprises commander, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, 2 air
surveillance technicians, 2 surface surveillance technicians and 2
orbit/interface surveillance technicians and the flight crew is the usual
pilot, co-pilot and navigator. As with the –BP the Bruja-BE has bunkspace for a
complete relief crew, but rarely uses the two engine loiter capability. The –BE
does not have the offensive tasking of the MPA variant and its warload is
intended solely for self-defence, comprising 4 Jaguar 3s, 4 Pantera-5s and 4
free-flight decoys. The lighter warload means that the Bruja-BE does not have
the same STOL restrictions as the Bruja-BP, although with the exception of
Antarctic operations both CANA and FAA only rarely make use of the ability to
operate from short, unimproved strips. Type: STOL AWACS Aircraft Nation: Argentina and many others Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator, 9 Mission Crew, optional complete
second crew Weight: 34,000kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: 4 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 4 * Jaguar-3 MRAAM 4 * Pantera-5 SRAAM 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Evasion: 10 Sensor Range: 500km (+4) Signature: 4 Max Speed: 1250 kph Cruising Speed: 1000 kph Combat Movement: 2500m Endurance: 16 Hours without air refuelling Price: Lv 3,500,000 Bruja-B Strategic Bomber After the cloak-and-dagger mystique of the Bruja-E it
is the baseline Bruja-B that grabs most attention. Strategic bombers are a rare
beast in the skies of 2300, but Argentina retains as extensive a force as any
country outside of France and Manchuria. Penetrating bombers like the MAe
Mosquito and the Garcia-Lunez Calquin may have a greater élan, but few aircraft
have the punch of a standoff strategic bomber. FAA operates a considerable
number of Bruja-Bs tasked against strategic Brazilian targets, but CANA have an
even larger force optimised for shipping strike against the British South
Atlantic Fleet (although these remain perfectly capable of striking land
targets on the Falklands or farther afield). Crew consists of Pilot, Co-Pilot,
Mission Commander and two Weapon System Operators. The Bruja-B’s extensive
warload is centred on 6 Conquistadore-2 heavy air to surface missiles. Even
though the Bruja-B is not intended as a penetrating platform operational
missions in any air force are renowned for seldom surviving contact with
reality, never mind the enemy and 4 Corvo-ARMs are carried for defence against
pop-up air-defence threats. If required by the tactical situation each pair of
Conquistadore 2 missiles is able to be replaced by three of the lighter but
faster Conquistadore-3s. Four Jaguar-3s, 4 free-flight decoys and 4 Pantera-5s
complete the self-defence armament and the defensive avionics have also been
upgraded in comparison with the other members of the Bruja-B sub-family. Type: STOL Standoff Strategic Bomber Nation: Argentina, Chile and others Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, 2 Loadmasters, Navigator (BC(N) only) Weight: 32,000kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: 6 * Conquistadore-2 Heavy
ASM 4 * Corvo-ARM 4 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 4 * Jaguar-3 MRAAM 4 * Pantera-4 SRAAM 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Evasion: 12 Sensor Range: 300km (+2) Signature: 1 Max Speed: 1250 kph Cruising Speed: 1000 kph Combat Movement: 2500m Endurance: 6 Hours without air refuelling Price: Lv 2,500,000 Bruja-BS Long-Range Search and Rescue Aircraft The Bruja BS is a hybrid of other Bruja variants,
combining a Bruja-BC fuselage with the VTOL-capable wings and engine of the
Bruja-E, the navigation suite of the –ES and parts of the maritime sensor suite
of the Bruja-BP. With rescue winches added to both port and starboard-side
hatches and long-range tanks in the fuselage the Bruja is turned into a long
range rescue aircraft able to transit long distances to a maritime disaster and
hover over the site for extended periods while its four rescue divers recover
survivors. A qualified flight surgeon is always carried to augment the
paramedic skills of the rescue divers. The complete ten man crew of the –BS
consists of the two pilots, a navigator, two sensor operators who also double
as winch-operators (although it is standard practice never to use both winches
at the same time due to the risk of tangling cables), the flight surgeon and
the four rescue divers. Even with the large crew and the space given over to
fuel tankage the Bruja-BS is still capable of taking twenty survivors aboard.
As the Bruja-BS is tasked with long-range CSAR as a wartime role it also has
provision to carry two Corvo-ARMs in addition to the standard self-defence
suite, although it invariably operates unarmed in peacetime. Type: STOL CSAR Aircraft Nation: Argentina, Chile and others Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator , 2 * Sensor Operator/Winchman, Flight
Surgeon, 4 * Rescue Diver, up to 20 survivors Weight: 28,000kg Armour: 6 All faces Armament: 2 * Corvo-ARM 2 * Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy 4 * Pantera-4 SRAAM 2 * Guarda Point Defense Laser Evasion: 10 Sensor Range: 300km (+2) Signature: 2 Max Speed: 850 kph Cruising Speed: 750 kph Combat Movement: 1700m Endurance: 16 Hours without air refuelling Price: Lv 2,150,000 Bruja Weapon SystemsTipo-12 50MW Plasma Gun The Tipo-12 is the standard Argentinian medium plasma
gun and is extensively used by all three terrestrial arms of the Argentinian
armed forces. Its performance is unexceptional, but equally it has very few
vices and is popular with its users Type: 50MW Plasma
Gun, Country: Argentina
and others Weight, empty: 120
kg Length: 185 cm (Bulk
= 6), Action: Single shot Amunition: 35x95mm
50MW Plaser Cell Ammunition Weight:
2.5 kg Magazine: Varies Magazine Weight:
Varies ROF: 6 Aimed Fire Range:
1500 meters DP Value: As tamped
explosion (EP = 8) Price: Lv 8,000 (Lv
35 per plaser cell) Guarda Point Defense Laser Argentina’s standard
airborne point defence system, the Guarda typically gives hemispherical
coverage meaning two systems must be installed on each aircraft to ensure
protection from all arcs. Where two systems are installed they will coordinate
themselves to ensure that only a single target is engaged, Argentinian analysis
having concluded that it is preferable to have the second emitter head
unengaged and ready to deal with a pop-up target rather than to double-up both
emitters against a single target. Type: 75-01 Laser Weapons System Country: Argentina Weight: 120kg Length: N/A Action: Single shots Magazine: MHD power take-off from main engines ROF: 6 Aimed Fire Range: 2,500m DP Value: 2.5 Price: Lv35,000 Jaguar-3 MRAAM Standard medium range air to air missile of the FAA and CANA, the
Jaguar-3 is an upgrade of the earlier Jaguar-1 and –2, both of which saw
service in the 3rd Rio Plata War. Type: Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 75kg (twin) Missile Weight: 125kg Range: 350km (6 minutes to maximum range) Missile Speed: 3,500KpH Signature: 4 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 25 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: EP10 Launcher Price: Lv 1200 Missile Price: Lv 22000 Pantera-5 SRAAM The high-end
dogfight missile in FAA and CANA service, the Pantera-5 has supplanted the 3rd
Rio Plata War era Pantera-4 in fighter and strike units, but the older missile
remains in extensive service in second line units. Despite its name the
Pantera-5 is a completely new weapon, not a reworking of the Pantera-4. Type: Short Range Air-to-Air Missile Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 20kg Missile Weight: 35kg Range: 60km (1.5 minutes to maximum range) Missile Speed: 2,500KpH Signature: 1 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 30 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: EP15 Launcher Price: Lv 1000 Missile Price: Lv 17,500 Pantera-4 SRAAM The Pantera-4 is a dogfight weapon that had just entered service at the
outbreak of the 3rd Rio Plata War, it performed well in that war,
but a generation later is now showing its age against more modern targets.
However it remains in extensive FAA and CANA service onboard support platforms
that are not expected to endure direct combat on a frequent basis. Type: Short Range Air-to-Air Missile Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 25kg Missile Weight: 275kg Range: 40km (1 minute to maximum range) Missile Speed: 3,000KpH Signature: 2 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 18 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: EP8 Launcher Price: Lv 1000 Missile Price: Lv 15000 Corvo Anti-Vehicle Missile The standard air-launched AVM in FAA and CANA service, the Corvo has an adequate homing capability and a powerful warhead. The Corvo airframe has also been adapted to create the Corvo-ARM for SEAD use. Type: Anti-Vehicle Missile Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 25kg Missile Weight: 55kg Range: 60km (3 minutes to maximum range) Missile Speed: 1,200KpH Signature: 4 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 8 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: as tamped explosion, EP25 Launcher Price: Lv 20000 Missile Price: Lv 8000 Corvo-ARM The favoured short
range ARM of FAA and CANA strike units, the Corvo-ARM adapts the Corvo AVM for
SEAD use. Beyond changes to the warhead the sustainer engine is adapted to give
the missile a 30 minute loiter capability. Type: Loitering ARM Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 30kg Missile Weight: 75kg Range: 60km (3 minutes to maximum range, followed by up to 30 minute
loiter) Missile Speed: 1,200KpH Signature: 4 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on, or Delayed
Automatic Lock-on (missile is launched to a specific location and engages the
first target within a 10km radius armed with an anti-aircraft system to
activate its sensors or launch a missile during the 30 minute loiter period) Homing Value: 15 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: as tamped explosion, EP20 Launcher Price: Lv 20000 Missile Price: Lv 10,500 Conquistadore-2 Heavy ASM Argentina’s standard heavy air to surface missile, the Conquistador is a
reworked version of the original Conquistadore, volleys of which helped
overwhelm the Brazilian C4I system during the 3rd Rio Plata War. The
missile is still very capable, but has been recently been supplanted by the
smaller, faster and stealthier Conquistadore-3 for use against the most heavily
defended targets. However, the Conquistadore-3 cannot match the heavy warhead
of the Conquistadore-2 and the older missile is expected to remain in service
for some considerable time. The Conquistadore makes a very capable ship-killer,
as the Brazilian Navy discovered to its cost during the 3rd Rio
Plata War although its homing performance against fast moving targets is
severely degraded. Type: Heavy Air to Surface Missile Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 125kg Missile Weight: 2,500kg Range: 2000km (40 minutes to maximum range) Missile Speed: 3,000KpH Signature: 2 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 22 (versus stationary targets), 16 (versus targets moving
at up to 150KpH), (5 versus targets moving at over 150KpH) Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: as tamped explosion, EP125 Launcher Price: Lv 20000 Missile Price: Lv 40000 Conquistadore-3 ASM The new Conquistadore-3 ASM adds considerable flexibility to the attack
units of the FAA and CANA. Optimised to penetrate heavy air defenses, such as
those around Rio or the battlegroups of the Royal Navy’s South Atlantic Fleet,
the Conquistadore-3 is fast and stealthy, however warhead size is reduced
beyond what many observers would consider optimal. That said, a Conquistadore-3
hit would still cause considerable damage to any medium sized combatant or
hardened facility. Type: Air to Surface Missile Nation: Argentina Launcher Weight: 75kg Missile Weight: 1500kg Range: 1500km (22.5 minutes to maximum range) Missile Speed: 4,000KpH Signature: -2 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 20 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: As Tamped Explosion, EP35 Launcher Price: Lv 2000 Missile Price: Lv 50000 Pez Espada Heavyweight Torpedo The Pez Espada (Swordfish) is the standard heavyweight torpedo in
Argentinina service. When used by MPAs it descends under a parachute cluster
which separates on water entry. As with many other first line torpedoes the Pez
Espada is a supercavitating underwater missile with a supersonic terminal
engagement mode over the final 10km to the target. Homing uses a sprint and
drift sonar mode in combination with active laser homing during the terminal
engagement phase. The standard Pez Espada has a rated crush depth of 6000m, but
approximately 30% of Pez Espada production is believed to be of the Pez Espada
Abisal (Abyssal Swordfish) variant with a crush depth of at least 9000m,
sufficient to reach the ocean floor anywhere in the South Atlantic or Southern
Ocean. Type: Heavyweight Torpedo Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 150kg Missile Weight: 2000kg Crush Depth: 6000m (Pez Espada Abisal: 9,500m) Range: 60km (12 minutes to terminal engagement range, 6 seconds for
terminal engagement) Missile Speed: 250KpH (Cruise), 6000KpH (Terminal Engagement) Signature: Sonar: 12 (Cruise), -4 (Terminal Engagement) Blue Green Laser: 4 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 18 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: as tamped explosion, EP60 Launcher Price: Lv 2,500 Missile Price: Lv 30,000 (Pez Espada Abisal: Lv 50,000) Pingüino Del Vuelo Standoff Medium-weight Torpedo The Pingüino Del Vuelo (Flying Penguin) is a
standoff carrier for the standard Pingüino medium-weight torpedo, allowing
engagement of submarine targets without needing to enter their air-defence
envelopes. The Pingüino Del Vuelo has air, surface and sub-surface launched
variants, with the surface and sub-surface launched missiles having booster
rockets to get them to a high enough speed for the sustainer motor to take
over. Test flights have recently been observed of Pingüino Del Vuelo variants
modified for land and maritime attack. Type: Standoff ASW Torpedo Nation: France Launcher Weight: 150kg Missile Weight: 1275kg Range: 100km (8 minutes to maximum range) Missile Speed: 750KpH Signature: 2 Guidance: Inertial Homing Value: 30 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: N/A, See Pingüino torpedo Launcher Price: Lv 1000 Missile Price: Lv 6000 (excluding Pingüino
torpedo, see below) Pingüino Medium-weight TorpedoThe Pingüino (Penguin) is the standard medium-weight torpedo in Argentinina service. In essence it is simply a cut-down version of the Pez Espada heavyweight torpedo, but trades slightly higher performance for a reduced endurance. Crush depth of the standard variant of the Pingüino is 5000m. As with the Pez Espada the Pingüino has a deep diving variant, the Pingüino Abisal, which is rated to 7000m crush depth (this leaves parts of the South Sandwich Trench, with depths of up to 8,500m, inaccessible, but this is considered acceptable as combat at these extreme depths is expected to be extremely limited). Type: Medium-weight Torpedo Nation: Argentina and others Launcher Weight: 150kg Missile Weight: 1000kg Crush Depth: 5000m (Pingüino Abisal: 7,000m) Range: 40km (5 minutes to terminal engagement range, 6 seconds for terminal
engagement) Missile Speed: 350KpH (Cruise), 6000KpH (Terminal Engagement) Signature: Sonar: 10 (Cruise), -4 (Terminal Engagement) Blue Green Laser: 2 Guidance: Automatic, or Automatic following lock-on Homing Value: 16 Attack Angle: Direct DP Value: as tamped explosion, EP30 Launcher Price: Lv 2,000 Missile Price: Lv 18,500 (Pingüino Abisal: Lv 35,000) Fantasma Free-Flight Decoy Similar to most other free-flight decoys, the Fantasma is a small
airframe with a limited endurance, but able to match the signature and
behaviour patterns of its launch platform using a pre-programmed techniques
generator. When an aircraft with a deployed decoy is engaged by automatically
guided missiles there is a 60% chance that the decoy will be engaged instead of
the real target (the decoy is programmed to make itself a more ‘tempting’
target). Missiles launched using automatic after gunner lock-on guidance have a
40% chance of engaging the decoy. Targets attacked from a range of over 25km
may opt to launch a decoy if they do not already have one deployed. Within 25km
the decoy separation will not occur in time to be effective. If the attacker
closes to within 5 km the decoy will automatically be visually identified as a
decoy. Identifying a decoy at over 5 km requires a military grade sensor suite
and is a task: Difficult, Electronic or Sensors, 5 seconds. Type: Medium Decoy Nation: Argentina Launcher Weight: 25kg Missile Weight: 250kg Endurance: 20 minutes Missile Speed: up to 2000KpH, selectable to match launch aircraft Signature: -2 to 8, selectable to match launch aircraft Launcher Price: Lv 1,000 Missile Price: Lv 12,000 Tipo 15 Medium sonobuoy Argentina’s standard medium sonobuoy, the Tipo 15 bears little
resemblance to the earliest generation of sonobuoys that were dispensed by the
hundreds and thousands during the Twilight War. As targets have become quieter
and deeper diving sonobuoys has increased in sophisication, and necessarily in
size. A single modern sonobuoy is far more capable than an entire field of
Twilight Era buoys. The Tipo 15 is fairly standard for a medium-weight platform, weighing in
at around 1000Kg. Parachute delivered, the Tipo 15 is divided into two segments
which split on water entry. The surface transponder section remains on the
surface and maintains a link between the sonobuoys and the launch platform, the
sensor package (the major part of the sonobuoy) then floods its ballast tanks
and descends to its operating depth (anywhere between 100 and 3000m depending
upon the tactical situation). Electrothermal-chemically inflated balloons are
used to control the ballast tanks and sufficient chemicals are carried to allow
the Tipo 15 to alter its depth up to six times if so required by the tactical
situation or water conditions. The Tipo 15 has an endurance of up to 18 hours
(and may well have been handed off between several different MPAs or surface
platforms over that period) and at the end of that time will activate a
scuttling charge of thermite to avoid the possibility of salvage by a hostile
power, simultaneously the cable linking the sensor package to the surface
transponder will be severed and the ballast balloons vented, giving a
substantial probability that the instrument package will be destroyed by
descending past its crush depth even if the scuttling charge fails to ignite. Onboard sensors consist of an advanced passive sonar array and a
blue-green laser. Type: Medium-Weight Sonobuoy Nation: Argentina Launcher Weight: 75kg Weight: 950kg Crush Depth: 3,500m Endurance: 18 Hours Missile Speed: 7,200KpH Signature: 1 Sensors: 50Km(+1) (Sonar) 2Km(+3) (Blue-Green Laser) Launcher Price: Lv 200 Sonobuoy Price: Lv 12,000 Tipo 12 Light sonobuoys Similar to the Tipo 15 medium buoy in overall structure, but several
years older in design, the Tipo 12 Lightweight buoy is expected to be replaced
in Argentinian service by the new Tipo 17 over the next few years, but has been
extensively exported and is unlikely to completely disappear from service in
the hands of users such as the Incan Republic for several decades. Type: Lightweight Sonobuoy Nation: Argentina Launcher Weight: 25kg Weight: 400kg Crush Depth: 3,500m Endurance: 8 Hours Signature: 2 Sensors: 25Km(+1) (Sonar) 2Km(+2) (Blue-Green Laser) Launcher Price: Lv 200 Sonobuoy Price: Lv 8,000 Capitan de Corbeta Guillermo Cruz, CANACapitan de Corbeta Cruz was
recently decorated by the head of the Armada for saving several Argentinian
soldiers during a search and rescue operation. What was left unstated in the
public medal citation was that the operation occurred on the wrong side of the
dividing line between British and Argentine territory. The operation was
nothing new for Guillermo Cruz, who is one of the more experienced pilots
within Fuerza Aeronaval 15, but even the semi-public recognition of a
cross-border mission is very unusual and may represent a hardening of
Argentinian attitudes. Fuerza Aeronaval 15 de Operacions Antarcticos, CANAOstensibly an Antarctic Transport wing like it’s supposed sibling FA14OA, FA15OA is widely known to be CANA’s special operations wing, with responsibility for support of special operations in Antarctica, the Southern Ocean and the South Atlantic. The wing comprises three squadrons, Esquadrilla 406 and 407 de Sosten Logistico Movil with the Bruja E and ET and Esquadrilla 408 de Sosten Logistico Movil with the Lama heavy tilt-rotor and the Strega penetrator. While the wing is primarily focused on operations against the British South Atlantic Territories, and is frequently implicated in ‘incidents’ amongst the disputed territories of the Antarctic Peninsula, it also has a reinforcement role for operations against Brazil in the event of hostilities against the Brazilians which do not draw British involvement. The wing divides its operations between BA Vice Comodoro Matambio on the Antarctic Peninsula and BA Ushuaia on the mainland. Grupo de Busqueda
y Salvamento Antarcticos
Based at Estacion Aerea Ushuaia (co-located with the large CANA airbase) at the Southern tip of the Argentinian mainland, the Prefectura’s Grupo de Busqueda y Salvamento Antarcticos (Antarctic Search and Rescue Group) is the one exception to the rule that the Prefectura handles SAR within 200Km of the coast with the Armada responsible for anything further out. The air link between Ushuaia on the mainland and BA Vice Comodoro Matambio in Antarctica is absolutely vital to the success of Argentina’s Antarctic strategy, both civil and military, but passes over some of the most dangerous seas in the world. With that in mind the decision was taken to create a specialist search and rescue unit for the airlink, with the Prefectura chosen for the role. The Grupo is a composite unit with one flight flying five Pescador-S WIGs, which have the advantage of being able to land on the water and deploy a rescue boat to pick up survivors, while a five aircraft Bruja-BS flight provides an ability to deal with rescues involving larger numbers of survivors or where the sea-state precludes a water landing. The Grupo also has two Bruja-BT(N) tankers for airborne refueling support. The Grupo is
respected worldwide for its competence and professionalism and often hosts
visits from other SAR units who wish to learn from its experience. To date this
has not included any British units, although both sides will cooperate when an
aircraft or vessel is missing or in trouble, such as during the recent rescue
of the crew of the Falkland Islands registered fishing vessel ‘Pebble Island’. 29/08/05 Copyright 2005, David Gillon
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