Defending Malvinas

[Stwa 18]

Currently, I am having a lot of fun defending Malvinas (the Falkland Islands). To date, my Strike Fighters 2006 system has 36 aircraft variants, including the original aircraft that came with the original games WOV , WOE, and SFG. I have constrained add-on aircraft variants to those original aircraft.

 

So there are plenty of A-4 Skyhawks in the game, including those that belong to Argentina (FAA). I can't really remember, but to make Argentine A-4s, I only needed a few skins, and new decal ini files for the birds.

 

And this time, I am not playing a campaign, but just using them with Create Mission were they will encounter Soviet enemy aircraft. I am not sure how Soviet aircraft got anywhere near Malvinas, but somehow they managed.

 

I am using the Skyhawk variants A-4C FAA, A-4P, and A-4Q. The A4C FAA variant is given this name to full identify it in the menu system from the US A-4C variant.

 

[Stwa 18]

The Argentine Air Force received 25 A-4Bs in 1966 and another 25 in 1970, all refurbished in the United States by Lockheed Service Co. prior to their delivery as A-4P, although they were still locally known as A-4B. They had three weapon pylons and served in the 5th Air Brigade (Spanish: V Brigada Aérea). -wiki

 

This is the main variant I mostly use because it was delivered in 1966, and therefore usually encounters MiG-17s, MiG19s, and worst case, MiG21s. All Argentine aircraft use stock decals supplied with the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stwa 18]

I have allowed all the Argentine A-4s to fly CAP and Sweep missions. Dog-fighting Soviet aircraft is fun, especially since this bird is not equipped to use sidewinders. And if it is 1966, then Argentina has already acquired the Falkland Islands. Correcto mundo. How about that for "true to life" terrain. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2015 by Stwa

[Stwa 18]

The Argentine Naval Aviation also bought the Skyhawk known as A-4Q in the form of 16 A-4Bs plus two for spare parts, modified with five weapon pylons and to carry AIM-9B Sidewinders. They were received in 1971. -wiki

 

I got the skins for all these Skyhawk variants from the Marcfighters website. I decided on a medium sized insignia roundel, that probably represents what you might see around 1970. By the time of the Falkland Islands conflict, the roundels were much smaller, and could be completely contained on the fuselage air-brakes. 

 

However, these birds are not "true to life", because of the aircraft numbers. I used the existing USN Attack Numbers and placed these numbers where the corresponding numbers appeared on a US A-4 variant. This location is not where they were located on Argentine aircraft. But, each variant is consistent with one another.

 

[Stwa 18]

In 1976, 25 A-4Cs were ordered to replace the F-86 Sabres still in service in the 4th Air Brigade (Spanish: IV Brigada Aérea). They were received as is and refurbished to flight status by the Air Force technicians at Río Cuarto, Córdoba. -wiki

 

Some sources say, the A-4Q and A-4C variants had 5 pylons, and could use AIM-9B sidewinders and were modified after their arrival in Argentina. Some sources do not mention this. So, I just decided to be lazy and all birds only have 3 pylons, and do not support sidewinders.

 

I just don't recall ever seeing a photograph of any A-4 with sidewinder missiles mounted on outer pylons. But, I didn't spend that much time looking for them.

 

 

Edited March 13, 2015 by Stwa

[Stwa 18]

As I have been messing with all this, it occurred to me that I would make a FAA SA (South Atlantic) theme. On my system, a theme must be enabled when you are not in the Strike Fighters game, and it does several things. A theme is constructed using a command (cmd)  file, or a command file that has been converted into an executable file. They are very easy to make,

 

1. A theme changes the game's Main Screen and Credits Screen to suit your theme.

 

2. A theme changes the game's System Icons by using roundel icons to suit the Nation or Service that is the subject of the theme.

 

3. A theme changes the aircraft types that will constitute enemy aircraft, when the player uses the Create Mission screen to generate a mission.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2015 by Stwa

[Stwa 18]

Once upon a time I had a RAF SA theme that would only allow FAA aircraft as enemies. But that theme required a change in the Nations ini file to describe Argentina as an enemy nation. Over time I came to the conclusion that was unfair to Argentina, because the South Atlantic War in 1982 was very brief and was so near the end of the game's cold war period which was 1985.

 

So now, the FAA SA theme is very similar to the RAF SA theme, since they both use Soviet aircraft for enemies. Who knows where these enemy aircraft come from, but in game they originate from off map airbases associated with the Falkland Islands terrain. Here is the full text of the script of the command file that enables the FAA theme.

 

COPY ..\..\Menu\Icons\FAA\System* ..\..\Menu\Icons
COPY ..\..\Menu\Icons\SOVIET\*.bmp ..\..\Menu\Icons
COPY ..\..\Menu\1360\FAA_SA\*.* ..\..\Menu\1360
COPY MIG-17_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-17
COPY MIG-17F_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-17F
COPY MIG-19S_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-19S
COPY MIG-21F_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-21F
COPY MIG-21MF_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-21MF
COPY MIG-21PF_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-21PF
COPY MIG-21PFM_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-21PFM
COPY MIG-21PFV_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-21PFV
COPY MIG-23M_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-23M
COPY MIG-27_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\MIG-27
COPY SU-7BM_data.ini ..\..\Objects\Aircraft\SU-7BM
EXIT
 

[Stwa 18]

I never got around to doing any Argentine squadrons or badges, and in the campaign game, I just call them out by name. The theme is a lot of fun, and you get the 1st gen jet feeling since you do not have any sidewinders. Also, I never got around to getting WOI, so I do not have any French made birds, so Argentina will have to make do with these Skyhawks. No worries!

 

Edited March 14, 2015 by Stwa