Author: Silvio Sosa - Drawings: Juan Jose Martin

In Tucuman:
Toward the year 1975, Argentina was wrapped in a typical low intensity war, against guerillas fighters that belonged to different groupings. Mainly established in the Tucuman mount, it is there where the Pucara was deployed for the first time. The scarce number of available airplanes - there were only 4 airplanes in service - made that their participation was only limited to exploration tasks and support. In this respect some action it is not known in the one that has participated. The used paint scheme was the standard with which left factory, it is natural metal, just as sample the profile of the A-501.

The bordering conflict with Chile:
Toward ends of 1978, dictatorship by means of, the different bordering conflicts with the Republic of Chile were increased. For that reason, all the available Pucara, included those of the Center of Tests in Flight (C.E.V.), with all their personnel, were deployed to the south of Argentina. Concretely, the Pucara was divided in two squadrons: In the BAM Santa Cruz, in the province of the same name, and in the BAM Fuerte General Roca, in the province of Rio Negro. This spread carried out to principle of December of that same year. The Pope's John Paul II opportune intervention avoided the conflict, reason for which the Pucara of the G3A was refolded to Reconquista, in the province of Santa Fe, in gradual form. The last section (2 airplanes) returned coming from Santa Cruz by the middle of January of 1979. For this date the readiness of machines was bigger (around 20 airplanes), being the cadence of deliveries on part of the FMA of one per month. Although scarce information exists about the used scheme of painting, the very few black and white pictures allow us to deduce that the last left airplanes of factory were colored entirely of medium gray, as it shows the figure of the A-557, while the first ones still conserved the natural metal.

The Malvinas war: 
Continuing with the history, toward the year 1982, the government of the dictatorship was in serious problems. Their popularity fell to pieces, and with strikes and several protests the Argentinians demonstrated this way it. This way, the day 2 of April of that year, to avoid the fall of the regime, the Argentinian Armed forces recapture the Malvinas Islands, that territory so care to the national feeling. The Pucara of the G3A arrived the same day at the airport of Puerto Argentino (Port Stanley) in squadron (4 airplanes), and their numerals were: A-523, 529, 552 and 556. Starting from that moment this airport was constituted in the BAM Malvinas. In the following days the Pucara Malvinas Squadron was devoted to familiarize with the land and the operations type that would carry out. The offensive recognition would be its main operation way. The Pucara Squadron, to being this the only combat airplane that it prepared the Argentinian Air Force to operate in Malvinas, was reinforced with 8 more airplanes, that which took at 12 the total of machines. Also began to look for alternative runways to be able to deploy the noted Pucara Squadron, due to the congestion of air traffic in the runway of Puerto Argentino, besides the scarce available place to park the airplanes. The only capable considered place for these airships was a land located in the proximities of Port Darwin. In fact, to say capable it doesn't mean ideal, since in fact the runway was far from being considered in that way. The “runway” not measured more than 500 meters. With a prominent wave that if somebody observed the take off career from some of the runway heads, you grieve it could sight the superior part of the line of the airplane. This way, due to the rough and irregular of the land, each take off and landing they constituted an enormous effort. To this place it denominated BAM Condor, being like an alternative the use of the BAN Calderon that was in hands of the Navy, located in the Pebble Island. Starting from April 24 the Pucara Malvinas Squadron, such its official name, began to operate in the “runway” of the BAM Condor, task that was intensified toward ends of the same month.

The 1st. of May:
Although the boss of the BAM Condor was noticed of the attacks suffered by the BAM Malvinas at the tomorrow's 4:44 and 8:00 local time, the defenders of the base were taken by surprise, when at the 8:24 three Harriers of the 800 Sqn of the aircarrier Hermes fliying at great speed and low height, throwing cluster bombs. This happened while the A-527 of the Lt. Juckic started the engines, being reached by a bomb, perishing the pilot and six mechanics. As consequence of the attack three airplanes they were damaged and one destroyed. That same day they were carried out patrol flights without results. The BAM Condor was useless, and the Pucara they were reestablished in the BAN Calderon. It was there where May 15 a blow command of the 22° SAS destroyed 11 airplanes, including 6 Pucara. The scarce Pucara in service was finally established in the BAM Malvinas. Other airplanes arrived of the continent, in fact from Commodore Rivadavia, where they were colored before the crossing to the islands. When the British troops began the blockade to Darwin, the Pucara was used in an intense way during the whole place; destroying places of advanced of the British, observation positions, carrying out attacks to troops, etc. In May 28 a section of Pucara detected, in Darwin's proximities, two British Scout helicopters. The A-537 of the Lt. Gimenez was able to shot down one of them, while the other Scout suffered smaller mishaps. The Argentinian pilot died when smashing with his machine against some elevations due to the bad time. With Darwin's fall, the Pucara settled down definitively in the BAM Malvinas. With the blockade to Puerto Argentino the Pucara was again active, using 68 mm. rockets shot to targets pointed out by the Argentinian artillery, with having not been so uncertain, because the British answer was not made wait every time that the Argentinian airplanes operated. Finally, a last attack intent to the positions of the English artillery with later return to the continent drifted for June 14, but it was canceled due to the rendition of the Argentinian troops.

Camouflage and insignia:
Although little its known, because no officially revellation never existed in this respect of the used colors; but, for the available pictures, it is supposed that these been:

• Medium green: Similar to the israeli (FS 34227).

• Brown (Toasted) : Similar to Tan (FS 30219).

• Light blue (Aviation): Lower part of the airplane.

But well, we should clarify that 4 camouflages existed, whose base is the colors up exposed.
Dark Camo: Just as it was exposed up, and perhaps until a little darker. An example of this camo was the A-537, 536 and 555, only with national insignia in wings and fuselage, conserving the medium gray in the inferior part, likewise the national insignia and the numeral one.

Standard Camo: We will denominate this way it to be the one that possessed most of the Pucara. More lighter than the previous one. Example: A-517, 513 and 515; most conserved their national insignia and numeral, it leaves bottom of the fuselage in natural metal.

Light Camo: More lighter than the standard, these airplanes were seemingly the first ones in being colored to be correspondents to Malvinas. Examples: A-522, 532 and 528; they conserved national insignia and numeral, it leaves bottom part of the fuselage in light blue. The A-536 it was something attractive, since having been colored with the light camo, it was repainted in the dark camo, being able to appreciate this in the tail of the airplane, where the dissimilar paintings were superimposed.

Very light Camo: In this painting you grieve notice the two colors of the camo. The only one that used it was the A-549, with their lower part in extra light blue, with national insignia and numerals in wings and fuselage.

Conclusion:
In the technical aspect the Pucara was thought for another class of conflicts. Anyway, it demonstrated to be a resistant and reliable airplane. Only 3 were shooted down by the enemy's action, being the other ones captured intact or destroyed in ground, of a total of 25.
Lastly, we want through this note to present our respects to those who suffered this war, and they had to fight with what they had.

Pucará 1 - Pucará  2 - Pucará 3