Pampas head for higher ground

摘要

Having travelled a long and winding path since its first flight on October 6,1984, the IA-63 Pampa advanced jet trainer has finally reached its destination, fully evolved as the Pampa Ⅲ variant. Entering service with the Argentine Air Force in February 2019, this light attack aircraft was originally jointly manufactured by Argentina-based Fabrica Militar de Aviones (now Fabrica Argentina de Aviones Brigadier San Martfn, FAdeA) and Germany's Dornier aircraft company. The Pampa was first born in the 1970s as a project to replace the old Morane Saulnier MS-760 Paris jet trainer. After analysing different proposals, a final design by Dornier was adopted by FAdeA and, in June 1988, the first series production examples entered service with the Argentine Air Force.