Argentinian Navy Super Etendard Retired

The Argentine Navy announced the definitive retirement of the Super Etendard on 20 August 2026, presented at Punta Indio Naval Air Base as part of Plan Dedalo, a five-year restructuring of naval aviation. Argentina ordered fourteen aircraft from France in 1979 and used them to sink HMS Sheffield and the Atlantic Conveyor in 1982; the survivors had been grounded for years. Five ex-French Super Etendard Modernises bought in 2018 and delivered in 2019 never flew under Argentine colours, British export controls having blocked the cartridges for their Martin-Baker Mk 6 ejection seats, and the airworthiness authority never cleared a test flight. None was carried as active, so the retirement removes nothing from the inventory.