Originally Posted by
Marcantilan
Well, Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, with large unpopulated areas and, like everyone else in this part of the world, problems of unclear borders. It is also a member of the G20 and a regular participant in peace missions.
It is logical that it would want to maintain a minimally credible air force.
As for the problems of drug cartels and insurgency, they do not exist here. If they did exist, Argentina's armed forces are prohibited by law from intervening in internal security matters.
I have worked in a border area of Argentina. There were very definitely drug cartels operating in the zone (and I am told this has not changed, but I'm not on the ground these days). The armed forces of Argentina specifically coordinated various activities in those areas, including with the relevant commercial and police organisations (including us, specifically myself). I checked with (our) Argentina lawyers and they explained to me that in border areas the armed forces are indeed the lead authority per Argentina law and constitution, and this was all legitimate and that we had a legal duty to co-operate (as well as it being common-sense).
Back then the only military aviation in the area was some choppers and some light transport. The fast jets never came up to the active drug-smuggling border areas. Maybe things have changed. The narcos were using aircraft even back then.
Good radar coverage of those areas is probably more important than fast jets imho. Getting fast jets without the radar coverage seems a waste of resources. With good radar coverage less speedy jets might be adequate. Back then the border areas of interest to the narcos did not have good radar coverage at low level. Maybe things have changed.