Lockheed C-130 in Argentine Service

Argentina (11 Aircraft)
Transport Aircraft

TC-63 and its crew on Puerto Argentino during the war for the disputed island. The pilots are holding a captured British Flag. (zona-militar)

Introduction

The pages of history are rich in aircraft that have a worthy place in the hall of fame of aviation. From fighters like the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, to ground attack aircraft, such as the Ju-87 Stuka or the Su-25 Frogfoot, or to civilian aircraft like the Queen of the skies, the world renowned Boeing 747 series.

One of these famous planes is the legendary Lockheed Martin C-130. The Hercules, as it is also known, has a place in the aviation hall of fame. From its service during the Vietnam War, to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and, more recently, the evacuation from Afghanistan of American forces, the C-130 proved to be a valuable asset to its operators. However, it is an aircraft with just as excellent a reputation in foreign service.

By the mid 1960s, Argentina did not have a viable Airlifter, the latest one in use being the severely outdated Ju-52. The Argentine Air Force was looking to satisfy this necessity, and it did so by acquiring the C-130 mid-weight air transport.

About the Hercules

After the Korean War, planes like the C-47, C-119, and C-46 were already starting to show their age and were no longer adequate for the needs of the time. Improvements had to be made, and fast.

On the 2^nd of February 1951, the USAF issued a GOR (General Operating Requirement) for a new transport to Boeing, Fairchild, Lockheed, Douglass, Martin, Chase Aircraft, North American, Northrop, and Airlifts Inc.

This new transport plane was required to carry at least 92 passengers, 72 combat troops or 64 paratroopers in a cargo compartment that should be at least 41 ft. (12 m) long, 9 ft. high (2.7 m), and 10 ft. wide (3 m).

The USAF was very emphatic that this plane had to be specially designed as a military aircraft, and not a converted passenger plane. The use of a hinged loading ramp at the rear was also strongly suggested and newer technologies, like turboprop engines, were also available if the company chose to incorporate them. This specific engine could produce structural damage if it suffered a mid-flight failure, so security measures and structural reinforcement had to be taken.

The first prototype, the YC-130, first flew on the 23^rd of August 1954. Since then, 29 versions have been developed, and it is still being operated by over 70+ countries, with the H variant, one of the combat cargo versions, being the most widespread of them all.

The variants of the C-130 range from combat cargo, tanker (KC-130), maritime patrol (PC-130), a psychological warfare version(EC-130J Commando Solo), a recon variant created for the then Iranian Imperial Air Force, and a ground attack (AC-130 Specter/Spooky) model equipped with automatic high caliber cannons and a 105 mm howitzer.

It is praised by its crews as a gentle and comfortable aircraft to fly, with very responsive controls. It is also considered a very maneuverable aircraft for its size. Designed to be structurally strong and able to land in even the harshest of terrains, it was a natural choice for the Argentine Air Force considering it had unpaved runways in Antarctica, and improvised landing strips in northern Argentina. The capability of this plane to also perform medical extraction missions was also crucial, as Argentina had no available aircraft to perform this kind of mission, let alone an aircraft capable to operate in rugged terrain or in the middle of a combat situation. This aircraft is optimized to perform combat transport duties, as it is sturdy, being able to resist small arms and even missile fragments. It also requires a very short take-off and landing distance, meaning it does not need a paved runway for take-offs or landings. All of these characteristics made it the perfect choice for the Argentines, as with this plane, they would have a choice besides ships for transporting personnel and supplies to their Antarctic bases, performing aeromedical evacuations, and supplying troops on the frontlines via airdrops or with a regular landing near the area of operations, without the need of a specialized or regular airstrip.

Layout of an aeromedical C-130 H (brookside press)

Its cargo bay is wide and tall, making it possible for its operators to load a variety of vehicles, personnel, and regular cargo. Humvees, paratroopers, APCs, and light tanks are many examples of the type of cargo the Hercules can carry. Its size goes according to the requirements stipulated in the GOR issued by the USAF.

Crew layout of a regular C-130. The pilot sits at the right of the picture, the copilot to the left, navigator center, the flight engineer at the far left, and cargo bay master sits opposite him. This layout is common for all variants. (picryl)

The first three, TC-61, TC-62, and TC-63

On the 15^th of September 1967, a contract was signed between the FAA (Argentine Air Force, shortened in Spanish) and the USAF for the purchase of three C-130Es. Later that year, a training course was authorized and the instruction of the future crews for these aircraft began in late October. In July 1968, the first crew departed from Argentina for Sewart AFB, where a thorough training took place, and the pilots were introduced to the aircraft, its components, parts, manuals, and operation instructions. A crew of mechanics, as well as then Vice commodore (NATO equivalent Lt. Colonel) Ricardo Francisco Degano arrived at Sewart AFB. The mechanics were also assigned to an instruction course on the maintenance and repairing of the aircraft. Degano was assigned later that year as the first Squadron Chief once all training operations were concluded.

All personnel were then transported by the USAF to Marietta, Georgia, where the Lockheed construction and design facilities were located, and later accommodated at USAF Dobbins Air Reserve Base. There, the Argentine officers and petty officers received and inspected the three units bought by the FAA, their respective spare parts, technical support team, as well as operative and logistical teams, as signed in the contract. Even though the airplanes were received by the Air Force envoys in Marietta, the official reception took place in the Bahamas due to budget restrictions. This was a legal tax loop orchestrated by the USAF and FAA so that Argentina paid less in taxes and managed to afford 3 units of the C-130. Later that week, they flew back to Dobbins ARB, the planes then being piloted by Argentine crews.

In early December 1968, the three Hercules took off from Dobbins ARB, stopped in Howard AFB, and then proceeded to Mendoza International Airport in Argentina. A day later, the three C-130s took off, setting course to and later landing at the 1^st Air Brigade base in El Palomar, Buenos Aires province.

Later that month, they received their official designation numbers, TC-61, TC-62, which in 1977 was modernized to the H variant, and TC-63, which was also later modified to the H variant .

On April 11, 1970, TC-61 was the first Hercules to land at the Marambio Joint forces military base in Argentine Antarctica. TC-61 is still in operational service as of today and her only remarkable duties were transport missions and airdrop missions over the Malvinas during the Conflict.

After some time in service, the Argentine crews began to call their C-130s “chanchas” (Spanish for female pig, remarking their big size and relatively slow speed). As of today, the crews still give this nickname to these planes.

TC-62

Assigned to meteorological duties on the flight route of Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz province – Petrel Naval Base, Argentine Antarctica, this plane performed its tasks up until around mid-1975. It also performed mail delivery and cargo delivery duties to said base and to Marambio base.

By that time, It was transferred to perform logistical duties to fight off the Peronist and Communist guerrillas that were waging an insurrection in the northern part of the country. On the 28^th of August 1975, it was destroyed by a terrorist attack while taking off from the international airport of Tucuman.

An IED was detonated on the runway, causing the aircraft to explode, and engulfed in flames as it skidded off the runway; 6 of the 144 Gendarmerie officers onboard (the Gendarmerie being the Argentine paramilitary force that performs both police and COIN/border patrol duties) were killed, and 28 others were injured, among them the 6 crewmembers.

TC-62 destroyed after the terrorist attack. (La Razon)

During the Malvinas/Falklands war, on the 1^st of June 1982, TC-63, war codename “Tiza” (chalk), was given the order to scramble towards the last known position of the enemy fleet. The inclement weather, thick clouds and low visibility gave this plane the perfect opportunity to fly undercover and deliver supplies to the area of operations. After landing in Puerto Argentino (Port Stanley) and delivering its payload, TC-63 took off from the landing strip at 8:53 AM to perform a recon mission. It was tasked with looking for enemy vessels over the San Carlos Bay and designating them as targets for the Canberras and A-4s of the FAA.

At 10:25 AM, TC-63 reached her waypoint, and her radar signal was detected by HMS Minerva, the British vessel designated to control the airspace over that region. 20 miles north of the San Carlos Bay, a pair of Sea Harriers from the Royal Navy’s 801^st Naval Air Squadron which were on combat air patrol duties. Piloted by Lieutenant Commander Nigel Wards and Lieutenant Steve Thomas, they scrambled towards the last known location of the Argentine Hercules.

Once intercepted, Ward launched an AIM-9L Sidewinder that plunged into the sea, as it was fired at an exaggerated range from its target. Ward pushed the throttle on his Sea Harrier, closed the gap with TC-63, and fired his second Sidewinder, which successfully impacted the right wing of the plane between engine 3 and 4.

Despite this severe damage, the Hercules, being loyal to its name, kept on flying firm and strong. Ward got even closer to the aircraft and fired his cannon upon it. The right wing finally broke off and the C-130 began to spiral down into the sea, disintegrating on impact. All 7 crew members died.

Illustration of the shoot down of TC-63. (Keith Woodcock)

TC-64

In early 1971, a fourth and fifth unit were purchased, this time both being H variants that differed from earlier E models by having updated T56-A-T5 turboprops, a redesigned outer wing, updated avionics, and other minor improvements. Similarly, both the C-130E and H carried 6,700 gallons of fuel in six integral wing tanks. Under each wing of the C-130E/H was an external pylon fuel tank with a capacity of 1,300 gallons. A pressure refueling point was in the aft side wheel well fairing for ground refueling. These new units were then designated with the identification numbers TC-64 and TC-65. One of these aircraft (TC-64) was the third to land in Puerto Argentino (also called Port Stanley by the British) under the war callsign Litro 3. On May 20, 1982, Litro 3 was shot at by friendly anti-air fire and by ground troops’ small arms fire over Fox bay, while it was on an airdrop supply mission to aid the Argentine 8^th Marine division. Luckily, TC-64 managed to drop all her 10 cargo containers to aid the Navy marine division and fled the AO untouched.

The author has a personal connection with TC-64 or simply “64”, as the crew call it. It is common for crews to refer to individual Hercules by their designation numbers alone. That specific aircraft flew the author to see his father in 2019, who was stationed as an Officer in Command of the Resistencia AFB in Chaco province, Northern Argentina.

Hercules TC-64 taxiing in the Posadas International Airport, Misiones province, unknown date. This civilian airport also has the role of military airport for the Air Force. (FAA)

TC-65

TC-65 did not have a future as bright or lengthy as TC-64. It was assigned to the 1^st Squadron, Transport Group 1 in late December 1971 and performed numerous duties over the Antarctic Argentine base of Marambio, from transport of supplies, MedEvacs, and VIP/personnel transport.

With the start of the Malvinas/Falklands war, 65 was assigned to perform transport duties on the Islands’ theater of operations. It was the last Hercules to flee the Islands. It was later abandoned in 2006 at El Palomar Airbase, with her nose severely damaged, and the plane lacking its engines. It was then cannibalized and salvaged for parts.

TC-65 in late December 2021. The poor state of the aircraft as of today can be appreciated. It was deprived of all critical and useful elements; its fuselage was sold as scrap in the final week of that month. (aerospotter)

TC-66

TC-66 was purchased by the FAA in mid-1972 and delivered to Argentina in September of the same year. It was also assigned to the 1^st Squadron, Transport Group 1 and became the first plane to perform a trans-antarctic intercontinental flight in the world, connecting the International Airport “Jorge Newbery” in Buenos Aires, to McMurdo base in Antarctica, Christchurch in New Zealand, and Canberra in Australia. The trip was made in December 1973 and took 17 hours and 55 minutes.

During landing on Rio Grande base in Tierra del Fuego on the 11^th of February 1998, it suffered an estimated 15% structural damage after hydroplaning and skidding away from the landing strip, halting abruptly on the surrounding soil. No casualties or injuries were reported, and it was then repaired by Lockheed Martin Argentina, in Córdoba Province Argentina.

TC-66 refueling in Marambio base, Argentine Antarctica. (FAA)

TC-67

This aircraft was acquired in late 1974, and delivered on the 3^rd of March 1975. TC-67 was assigned to the 1^st Squadron, Transport Group 1, where it performed Airdrop duties over the Orkney Islands Navy base.

It suffered an accident landing at Marambio base, where it severely damaged her nose landing gear on the 23^rd of November 1981, and because of this, TC-67 was the only Hercules not to be reported to have been deployed over the Malvinas War Theater. However, pictures of it parked in Puerto Argentino have been found suggesting its use during the conflict.

After attempting to land at the Tandil Airbase on the 16^th of May 1996, it skidded off the runway and the subsequent impact caused around 9% of structural and landing gear damage.

Repairing this aircraft proved not to be worth it considering the budgetary restrictions of the Air Force. The wings were sold off to the Pakistani Air Force, and the fuselage was donated to the Malvinas War Museum in Pilar, Buenos Aires Province, where her cargo bay is being used as a cinema. Her engines were salvaged.

TC-68

Perhaps the most interesting specimen of them all, TC-68, was acquired alongside TC-67 and delivered a week after it. Acquired in early March 1975 and delivered on the 10^th of March same year, it performed regular transport duties during peace time for the 1^st Squadron, Transport Group 1 located in El Palomar AFB.

It was the first Hercules to land at Puerto Argentino and performed an airdrop supply mission over Darwin on the 19^th of May 1982.

Using what’s known in Argentina as “Viveza Criolla” or Criollo quick thinking, some field officers decided to modify TC-68 to perform Frontline Bomber duties after performing recon missions over the exclusion zone.

It was first used against the tanker HMS British Wye with relative success, landing two of her bombs on target. However, this is not the mission it is most known for.

Not many were the ships whose captains were brave enough to venture or deliver payload inside the war’s exclusion zone. The ironically named tanker “Hercules” was one of these.

Being a tanker operated by the United States under a Liberian flag, the Hercules was heading towards Ascension Island when it was spotted by an “unidentified military aircraft”. That aircraft was another FAA C-130 which was flying over the area in search of enemy vessels at around 13:00 PM. Captain Bataliari ignored the event, as he identified the plane as being a military cargo plane, and he thought it was likely an RAF or Royal Navy aircraft.

Exactly six minutes later, a pair of planes, consisting of a FAA Canberra MK-62 and a C-130H, were spotted flying in a straight intercept course with the vessel. No one onboard the tanker could believe what they were about to encounter: TC-68 was fitted with a SFON system ,the ground-attack oriented sights available in the IA-58 Pucará; some fielded officers say that this sights may have been extracted not from a damaged Pucará, but from the Canberra, as the jet bomber used the same kind of sights. It also carried a pair of wing mounts, extracted from a damaged Canberra, and loaded with a total of fourteen 250 kg dumb bombs. These were mounted where , regularly, drop tanks were installed.

TC-68 restored with mock-up bombs installed to show how they were installed during the war, as the aircraft today serves as a museum piece. (Aztec Models)

The plane had taken off from Comodoro Rivadavia on the 8^th of June 1982 at 10:00 AM, tasked to attack this tanker. The mission was conducted by the pilot of the Hercules, Vice commodore Alberto Vianna.

Vianna recalled the mission:

“The day before, a Boeing (The Air Force’s pair of Boeing 707s were regularly used for recon missions over the islands as well as for troops transport) detected the ship traveling towards where the British fleet was stationed. They (HQ) sent us to intercept it.

When we arrived, the first surprise was that the oil ship was 320 meters long, and the second one was that it was called Hercules!

If I had to say that a Hercules was going to face another Hercules in the middle of the Atlantic, no one would believe me.”

Once encountered, many radio warnings were sent in both Spanish and English over different frequencies to order the ship to change its course, however, the tanker opted to ramp up her speed and escape towards the British fleet.

The order to attack was sent to Vianna. He dived with his Hercules from 1000 ft of altitude, expecting to release his bombs at 150 ft, 550 kph, and at a 45° angle.

The Vice commodore released eight of the fourteen loaded bombs. Four of them impacted the sea without exploding, three then exploded near the port (left side) of the ship, and the last one ricocheted off the ship’s deck and exploded over the sea. Despite the poor accuracy, structural damage was achieved on the ship by the shockwaves.

Illustration of the attack of the Hercules. (Pakistan Defense)

The coup de grâce was given to it by the Canberra flying alongside TC-68, when it dropped her three 500 kg MK-17 bombs over the ship. One of them got stuck in one of the ship’s orlops unexploded. Hercules fled the area towards Rio de Janeiro, while the two planes flew back to mainland Argentina. There, the damage and the impossibility of removing the bomb rendered the ship permanently disabled. Most of the oil was then salvaged. The ship was dragged to Brazilian controlled high seas and the bomb was detonated remotely, sinking it.

TC-68 performed 5 more bombing runs in 5 different missions with relative effectiveness.

Sadly, 27 years later, it was decommissioned and salvaged for parts. Abandoned and engineless, it was left behind as scrap inside the base of El Palomar in March 2009.

TC-68 at her final resting place. (Foro Militar)

However, unlike some other examples, TC-68 had a well-deserved restoration ordered and completed in 2018. It now serves as a museum in said base.

KC-130 TC-69 and KC-130 TC-70

The addition of these tankers to the air fleet proved to offer an invaluable tactical advantage, as the Air Force could now deploy their planes and perform missions at much farther ranges.

Nicknamed today as “Puerto Argentino” (TC-69) and “BAM Malvinas” (TC-70), they were acquired at the same time and delivered with 2 weeks of difference between each other, TC-69 on the 24^th of April 1979 and TC-70 on the 10^th of May 1979. Both “chanchas” operated under the 1^st squadron, Transport Group 1 in El Palomar AFB, and TC-69 was the first aircraft to perform an air refueling mission for the FAA on the 12^th of June 1979, refueling a squadron of A-4Cs.

During the Malvinas war, it also performed air refueling missions to different CAPs and Strike groups.

TC-69 after being modernized, having her batteries charged, late December 2021. (Via Pais)

It was sent on the 15^th of October 2014 to Waco, Texas, for a full modernization of her avionics and cockpit elements, installing a modernized and all-digital navigation system, new communications equipment, and a new controls system and digital instrumentation. Due to a lack of payment from the Argentine Air Force, the aircraft was retained for some months but later released, as the Argentine Ministry of Defense paid out the debt and modernization duties continued back in her home country. After the main modifications and modernizations ended on the 27^th of April 2019, it was presented and delivered to El Palomar AFB once again. Smaller updates and modifications are still ongoing as of the time of writing this article, in her home country and it still is in active service today.

Screenshot of a video captured of TC-70 performing air refueling over San Luis province to a pair of A4AR Fightinghawk, circa 2019. (Foro militar)

TC-70 performed similar duties during peacetime and war time. It is most well known for being the Hercules that refueled the squadrons that performed the attack and sinking of HMS Sheffield, HMS Atlantic Conveyor, and HMS Invincible.

It was the third Hercules to be modernized and the first one to do so fully in FAdeA (Fábrica Argentina de Aviones, Argentine Airplane Factory, the state-owned aircraft manufacturing factory) on 19^th of September 2018.

TC-100

Lastly, there is the newest Hercules in the air fleet, TC-100.

Accepted into service in December 1982, it was the technology demonstrator aircraft of the L-100-30 variant for Lockheed. It was then leased by Karu Kinka Airways, a regional southern Argentinian airline that operated solely between Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego, and Buenos Aires. For legal issues, it received the plate LQ-FAA, then LV-APW (while operated by Karu Kinka), and finally in 1998, TC-100, when it was returned to the FAA. It is the biggest cargo plane at the disposal of the Air Force thanks to her elongated fuselage.

As an interesting side note, it is also the only C-130 to receive a different camouflage compared to her sisters.

TC-100 was initially operated with a white livery with red lines. (Pedro Borsero)

It is still being used today, and more recently, performed flights to repatriate Argentine citizens from abroad when international lockdowns were enacted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also took Argentine medics to Cuba and returned home with Cuban medics to help relieve those infected with the virus.

Conclusion

Replacing the venerable, and very dated Junkers Ju 52, the C-130 provided the FAA with many capabilities. Able to operate from some of the harshest conditions in South America, the C-130 has proven to be an invaluable and versatile asset for the Argentine Air Force, acting as a transport plane, refueling aircraft, and even as a long-range frontline bomber.

Specifications (C-130H)

CREW: Five (two pilots, one navigator, one flight engineer, and one cargo bay master)
CAPACITY:

Troop transport: 92 soldiers, 72 soldiers with full combat load or 64 paratroopers
Medevac: 72 stretchers and 2 Medic crews with full equipment.
Cargo: 6 fully loaded pallets.
Vehicle transport: 2-3 Humvees or 1 M113 APC.

MAXIMUM LOAD CAPACITY: 20,000 kg or 44,080 lb.
LENGTH: 29.8 m or 97.8 ft.
WINGSPAN: 40.4 m or 132.5 ft.
HEIGHT: 11.6 m or 38.1 ft.
WING AREA SURFACE: 162.1 m²or 1744.9 ft².
EMPTY WEIGHT: 34,400 kg or 75,817.6 lb.
MAX CARGO WEIGHT: 33,000 kg or 72,732 lb.
MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT: 70,300 kg or 154,941.2 lb.
ENGINES: 4x Turboprop Allison T56-A-15

Power: 3430 kW (4729 hp; 4664 CV) each.

PROPELLER WIDTH: 4.17 m, 13.68 ft
MAX SPEED/CRUISE SPEED: 592 km/h at 6060 m. / 540 km/h. 367.85 mph at 19882 ft.
RANGE: 2052 nmi
MAXIMUM OPERATION CEILING: 10,058 m empty / 7010 m with 19,000 kg of load. 33,000ft empty, 23,000 with 42,000lbs of load.
TAKE OFF DISTANCE: 1093 m with full load, 427 m empty. 3586ft loaded, 1400ft empty.
AVIONICS: Meteorological and navigation radar Westinghouse Electric AN/APN-241 (cheesy side note, my father worked with these ones! He’s a radar engineer and operator in the Air Force)