A força aérea argentina na Guerra das Malvinas: uma análise do esforço aéreo em termos de tarefas do poder aeroespacial

Abstract

This study investigates the distribution of air effort of the Argentine Air Force during the Falklands War, from April to June 1982, with a focus on the tasks of air power. Using the analytical decomposition methodology, the work classifies the missions of the Argentine Air Force’s Groups of Aviation according to the following tasks: Air Control, Interdiction, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Sustainment in Combat and Command, Control, Communications and Information Systems (C3SI). The theoretical foundation draws on the Brazilian Air Force Basic Doctrine, as well as Olsen and Dyndal’s works for conceptual correlation. The study describes the development of the Argentine Air Force, the Argentine political–strategic environment that led to the conflict, and the command organization of wartime operations. Task-based analysis shows how the Air Force missions adapted to the exigencies of the conflict, prioritizing different tasks according to each phase. The study concludes that air efforts were relevant to supporting Argentine troops in the Falklands and to the temporary retention of the British Task Force; however, the combination of material and moral wear, the adversary’s technological advantage, and C3SI limitations redefined the final balance in favor of the United Kingdom. The implications for doctrine highlight the importance of continuous training, joint operations, cross-domain integration, the capability of C3SI for operations at sea, and the strengthening of national capabilities in strategic defense.