• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Pampa 2000

Argentina's FAMA was one of five offshore aircraft manufacturers who have teamed with US firms to compete for the US Navy/US Air Force Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS). Matched with the US firm LTV, FAMA proposed the IA-63 Pampa as its bid for a contract that would involve the procurement of nearly 800 aircraft for both the US Navy and US Air Force undergraduate flight training programs.

In 1990, LTV Aircraft Products made a decision to enter into competition for development and production of a next generation trainer airplane for the Air Force and Navy. The development program was required because both Air Force and Navy trainers were worn out after decades of service in the training of pilots. Announcement of the decision to initiate the program set off high-stakes competition among companies offering to build the trainer. The two services had decided to use the same trainer to replace the Navy's T-34 turboprop and the Air Force's T-37B jet trainer. The replacement program was called the Joint Primary Aircraft Training Program (JPATS).

The services specified they wanted an off-the-shelf aircraft already designed and ready to go. They did not specify that the aircraft had to be turboprop, turbojet or turbofan. After the Pentagon said it was all right for American companies to have an international partner on the project, LTV launched an intensive search before narrowing its list to 38 potential team members. LTV selected Fabrica Militar de Aviones, the Military Factory of Aircraft (FMA), at Cordoba, Argentina, as its partner. FMA had previously developed a high-winged jet trainer labeled as the IA63 with a tandem two-seat cockpit. The IA63 was powered by a Garrett turbofan engine, the TFE 731-2. This aircraft had just recently been placed in service in the Argentine Air Force as a trainer aircraft and had significant flying time.

The IA63 was versatile as both a basic and intermediate trainer. It was designed for basic pilot skills, acrobatics, spin exercises, basic instrument flying, navigation, formation flying and in-flight emergency training exercises such as engine out exercises. On the intermediate end, the airplane could provide instrument training, low-level navigation training, formation flying, simulated tactical employment and tactical maneuvers.

Three IA63 aircraft were shipped to Dallas, Texas, and extensively modified to meet specific Pentagon requirements. Compliance with Military Specifications was investigated and, where necessary, modifications were implemented. A large engineering staff was employed, and the manufacturing factory was used to implement necessary changes to the aircraft. Fuel system modifications were made to meet stringent ground refueling requirements. The cockpit layout was dramatically changed, and additional avionics equipment and displays added. The AirResearch environmental control system was upgraded to meet U.S. specifications and requirements. Landing gear changes were implemented to meet stringent drop requirements. Pilot ejection systems were investigated for compliance. The changes implemented had no deleterious effects on proven flying quality characteristics.

The entry into the competition was labeled the PAMPA 2000. Two of the refurbished aircraft were placed in a comprehensive Flight Test Evaluation Program. Argentine pilots were employed in the flight test program as well as two experienced LTV test pilots. The PAMPA 2000 was declared fully ready and the company committed and ready for submittal of a third Pampa 2000 aircraft which was fully missionized and compliant with all U.S. service requirements. The aircraft was shipped to Wright Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio, for extensive flight evaluation by Air Force and Navy pilots.

Air Force and Navy pilots evaluated the flying characteristics of Vought's Pampa 2000 jet trainer in August 1994. The flight evaluation encompassed 10 days of rigorous testing. Vought provided a 16-member support team, but evaluation testing was solely accomplished by service personnel. Other government evaluators checked the maintenance aspects of the aircraft and evaluated a hot mockup of the Pampa 2000 cockpit. Fifteen sorties were accomplished in 6 days. The Pampa jet trainer was reported to have performed impressively.

Vought, with the Pampa 2000, was the second competitor to participate in the flight evaluation. Seven contending aircraft were evaluated by Air Force/Navy personnel. These included:

• Vought Pampa 2000 Jet
• Grumman S211A Jet
• Rockwell Ranger 2000 Jet
• Cessna Citation Jet
• Northrop Grumman Super Tucano Turboprop
• Lockheed T-Bird 11 Jet
• Beech PC-9 Turboprop

Vought submitted a 10,000-page proposal to the government for producing the next-generation trainer aircraft for the Air Force and Navy. The proposal was considered to be top-notch, just like the airplane.

Vought's entry in the JPATS competition, however, was not the winning entry.

The future Argentine light attack aircraft Pampa GT

Pampa III

IA-63 is designed and manufactured jointly by Argentina-based Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) (for a time known as Lockheed Martin Argentina) and Dornier of Germany. On 14 April 2008 the National Executive issued a reserved decree ("S" 628) authorizing the corresponding funds for the purchase of the shares to LMAASA for a value of 67 million dollars. The project turned to the Congress where it is approved quickly and thus towards the end of 2009 the Argentine state took control of the now called Argentina Aircraft Factory (FAdeA). The Pampa III is designed to avoid the use of any British-built components and this has included replacing the type's Martin-Baker Mk10 ejection seat with the Russian Zvezda K-36 model. While UK companies were excluded because of the dispute over the ownership of the Falkland Islands, foreign companies such as Israel Aerospace Industries, Elta Systems, Rockwell Collins, Liebherr and Sagem are supplying components for the Pampa III. The GT derives almost directly from the concept of the AT-63 New Generation Phase III announced by LMAASA in 2001 and that was presented as a model in 2005. Phase III of LMAASA provided for the incorporation of a structural reinforcement in the wings for to support higher loads and accelerations, the addition of two extra sub-supports for the launching of air-to-air missiles, a drift-mounted radar warning system, two decoy dispersers located on the sides of the ventral barrel, a bow redesigned with a laser rangefinder, in addition to increasing the operating weights, reinforcing the landing gear precisely to adapt to the new weights and the incorporation of the more powerful TFE731-40 engine. It also offered an advanced avionics and the possibility of incorporating a fixed refueling probe in flight. The Ministry of Defense reported 03 July 2019 that the Argentine Aircraft Factory Brig. San Martín (FAdeA) will export for the first time in its history two Pampa III aircraft to the Republic of Guatemala. Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his Guatemalan counterpart, Jimmy Morales, formalized in Buenos Aires the purchase by the Central American country of two Pampa III fighter planes for 28 million dollars, an exchange without precedents between the two nations. It is "the first export [to Guatemala] of such reconnaissance aircraft," the government said in a statement. On an official visit to the South American country, Morales participated in an act together with the Argentine president at the airport of El Palomar, province of Buenos Aires, where they announced the acquisition by Guatemala of the two military planes. The purchase agreement was signed by the Argentine Minister of Defense, Oscar Aguad, and his Guatemalan counterpart, Luis Ralda Moreno. Guatemala will also receive pilot training and maintenance services for the purchase of Pampa III, which will be used to control the borders of the Central American country. The hunting aircraft, manufactured by the state-owned Argentine Aircraft Factory and used by the Argentine Air Force cadets to learn how to fly, will be delivered to Guatemala in the coming months. The first international sale of these domestically manufactured aircraft will be for a total of 28 million dollars and will include training and maintenance services. The operation is part of an agreement signed in Olivos, with the presence of the presidents of Argentina and Guatemala and senior officials of both countries. The aircraft, which will be used in pilot training and border control of that Central American country, are identical to those currently used by the Argentine Air Force (FAA) and will be delivered before the end of this year. After the sale of the Pampa III, Aguad said that "the expectations of this stage were overcome" and said it is "proud to have been able to meet one of the objectives set by the national government, which was to start optimizing resources of the State so that the national companies begin to be efficient and self-sustaining. " "The effort, the work, the training and the optimization of the resources that we have allowed us to begin to travel this path that today makes us all proud," said the minister. For his part, the president of FAdeA, Antonio Beltramone, said: "This sale is a historic milestone for our country. FAdeA returns to be an exporter of technology of very high complexity, demonstrating the great capacity that we Argentines possess ". In addition, he said that the reactivation of FAdeA and the management of new businesses "was a very complex process that demanded a great effort". "This is just the beginning. We continue working to generate more sales, "added Beltramone, who recalled that it was Defense Minister Aguad who entrusted them to recover the factory. "It seemed like a dream to achieve it in a short time, but thanks to those who day by day are responsibly committed to this company, we are able to return their future," he concluded. In recent years, FAdeA carried out one of the most ambitious restructurings of the group of state-owned companies, which allowed it to reverse the adverse situation it was experiencing in 2015 and which managed to work on three strategic pillars: sanitation, productive reactivation and generation of new clients. . After a deep process that involved all areas, the company managed to balance its endowment, increasing its efficiency and productivity indexes. At the same time, through control and supplier management systems, operating costs were reduced and the accumulated historical debt was considerably reduced, while all the commitments assumed with customers were fulfilled. Within this framework, the certification and provision to the Argentine Air Force of three Pampa III aircraft after ten years without delivering new aircraft stand out, with a growth of 10% in the use of national components in production. Regarding the generation of clients, FAdeA achieved an historic record in the volume of new businesses outside the Argentine State: in 2018, 14% of its revenues were from external customers, an unprecedented figure for the company, which in 2015 had only obtained 2% of income outside the State. For 2019, a new record is expected, with a 25% turnover to third parties, thanks to the certification of new capacities and the closing of contracts linked to the maintenance of commercial aviation, the production of wind turbines and the sale abroad. del Pampa III, unpublished businesses for the company, with a high growth potential. On July 17, 2018, FAdeA received the approval document for the new version of the Pampa III aircraft, granted by the General Directorate of Joint Military Airworthiness (DIGAMC), thereby certifying the completion of the aircraft certification process.