Martin B-26C Marauder, Free French Users part one

As we said yesterday, after operation Torch, the Free French Air Forces upgraded their medium bombers replacing both their outdated Lioré et Olivier LeO 45 and the Douglas DB-7.
Among them, the Centre d'Instruction B26. This unit was a bomber flying school located in Tunisia that operated both B-26B and B-26C and was located in Algeria first and later in Tunisia.
Another Free France's unit that operated the B-26C was the GBM I/19 "Gascogne" (GBM stands for Groupe de Bombardment Moyen - Medium Bombardment Group) that started to train on the B-26 in Tunisia replacing their Douglas DB-7 on 21st February 1944. Shortly later, on 1st April 1944 the squadron finished their training and, operating from Châteaudun-du-Rhumel, in Algeria together with the Groupes Bretagne and Maroc that were already operating from there.
The squadron was rebased in Sardinia and, on 15th May, they performed their first combat mission attacking communications hubs in La Spezia, North-Western Italy. They remained with those kind of missions until November, when they were rebased to Istres, Southern France first and the Lyon-Bron airbase later in order to perform missions against German soil. They remained there until being disbanded in September 1945.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder#France
2. http://ec1-91gascogne.fr/trad_escadron.php (translated)

Martin B-26B Marauder, various users

Today we cover two users of the B-26B. The B-26B was an improved version of the previous A version, which included revised tail gunner's glazing and various sub-versions were produced, from B-26B-1 to B-26B-55.
After Operation Torch, the Free-French Air Force re-equipped three of their squadrons with B-26B Marauders. One of those was the Instruction Centre CIB-26, a bomber flying school located in Algeria that was equipped with the already outdated version of the B-26B.
In the German case, after the allied bombed the power station at Ijmuiden, Netherlands, they managed to shot down many B-26 as the raid was a failure and, at least one B-26B was captured and sent to be tested at Rechlin test centre, in Germany. The fate of the airplane is, however, unknown.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft in Action 50 - B-26 Marauder in Action

Martin B-26A - British Users

The Martin B-26A Marauder was an improved version of the original B-26 that incorporated the changes made to the production line, including better machine guns in the nose and replacing the 0.3in of the tail with 0.5in ones. Some of them were delivered to the Royal Air Force.
In 1942 a batch of of some B-26A were offered under the lend-lease agreement,  to the Royal Air Force, that designated them as Marauder Mk.I.. Like the previous Martin Maryland and Martin Baltimore they were assigned to the Mediterranean Theatre replacing the Bristol Blenheim of the No.14 Squadron operating from Egypt. They flew the first operational mission with the Marauder on 6th November 1942 and were employed in reconnaissance, mine-laying and anti-shipping strikes. Unlike the USAAF, the Marauders of the No.14 Squadron managed to use eficiently the torpedo-bombing capabilities of the Marauder as they sank various merchant ships with that weapon. It also proved to be efficient against enemy air transports as it shot down various German and Italian air transports operating in the area.
The No.14 Squadron was the only one in the Royal Air Force that operated the Marauder until 21st September 1944 when they were returned to the United Kingdom, where they replaced the Marauders with Vickers Wellington Mk.XIV and were assigned to anti-shipping operations.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder#British_Commonwealth
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._14_Squadron_RAF
3. Signal Squadron - Aircraft in Action 50 - Martin B-26 Marauder in action.

Martin B-26 Marauder, Early American users

Today we start this new week with one of the most used American medium bombers of the World War 2, the Martin B-26 Marauder.
In March 1939 the United States Army Air Corps issued circular proposal 39-640 with an specification for a medium bomber with a top speed of 350mph (560km/h), a range of 3000milles (4800km) and a payload of 2000lb (910Kg), so, on 5th July 1939 Martin submitted their design made by Peyton M. Magruder, who was a chief designer engineer at Martin. Martins' design was evaluated as the best one, and they were awarded a contract for 201 airplanes, that were designated as B-26. It took approximately two years to materialize the bomber and 930 more of them were ordered in September 1940, still prior to the first flight of the type.
It was a shoulder-wing monoplane of all-metal fitted with a tricycle landing gear. It had a crew of seven and was armed with a 0.30in Browning machine gun in the nose, another two in the tail and another two 0.50in Browning machine guns in a turret placed on the dorsal of the airplane that was the first powered dorsal turret to be fitted into an American bomber.
It began its career with the 22nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field, Virginia replacing the aging Douglas B-18 Bolo. The 38th and 28th soon copied them and received the B-26. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbour, the 22nd Bombardment Group was assigned to the Pacific Theatre and was deployed in the South-West Pacific, operating from Australia. They made their first combat run attacking Rabaul in April 1942.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft in Action 50 - B-26 Marauder in action

McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle, USAF Users part two

The F-15A was the first production version of the F-15 Eagle that was mainly focused on air-to-air combat, hence the armament, that consisted on 4xAIM-7F Sparrow plus 4xAIM-9E/L Sidewinder missiles and additional three external fuel tanks that could carry each of them up to 610 US gallons.
Some F-15As were modified in order to conduct anti-satellite trials equipped with the ASM-135 ASAT missiles on the centreline of the aircraft. As the trials destroyed a satellite they were a success and the programme officially ended in 1988.
The squadrons covered in this post are:

• 2nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron: This squadron based in Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, transitioned from the F-106 Delta Dart to the F-15 in May 1984. They continued to training pilots for operations worldwide with the F-15A until it was deactivated in September 2010.
• 4485th Test Squadron: This squadron received their F-15A in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 1972 and kept them until 1988 when they were replaced by the more advanced strike version, the F-15E Strike Eagle.
• 199th Fighter Interceptor Squadron: This squadron that belongs to the Hawaii Air National Guard, switched their F-4C Phantoms II for the F-15A in 1987. They were used, together with the more advanced F-15C until 2009 when they were replaced by the F-22A Raptor. 
• 128th Tactical Fighter Squadron: In 1986 this squadron retired the F-4Phantoms and replaced them with the F-15A. They were kept in active service for ten years, until, in 1996, the squadron was reformed and switched them for the B-1B Lancer Bomber.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15_Eagle

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2d_Fighter_Training_Squadron

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/85th_Test_and_Evaluation_Squadron

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/199th_Fighter_Squadron

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/128th_Airborne_Command_and_Control_Squadron

6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell F-15A Eagle

The largest operator of the McDonnell F-15A in the world is the United States Air Force who, in November 1974, took it into service. We are covering the next squadrons in this post:

• 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron: After 9 years of combat operations in Vietnam, the squadron returned to the United States in 1974 to Luke Air Force Base, in Arizona. There they replaced their F-4 Phantoms II for the F-15A and became part of the 405th Tactical Training Wing. They retained the Eagle until being deactivated in March 1994. 
• 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron: This squadron replaced their aging F-105 Delta Darts for the F-15 in 1984 and retained them until 1988 when it was deactivated. 
• 43rd Tactical Fighter Squadron: The 43rd was the first unit to convert to the F-15A Eagle in Elmendorg Air Force Base, in Alaska, where it developed its own training programme and made the very first low runway condition tests with the F-15A. They retained the F-15 until 1994 when it was deactivated.
• 461st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron: This one was reactivated in July 1977 at Luke Air Force Base, in Arizona. It was intended to be a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for the F-15A. They had the F-15A until 1982 when it was replaced by the F-15B and F-15C.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15_Eagle

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555th_Fighter_Squadron

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Flying_Training_Squadron

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43d_Fighter_Squadron

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/461st_Flight_Test_Squadron

6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle, Israeli Users

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American all-weather tactical-fighter designed to gain and maintain aerial superiority. It flew for the first time in 1972 and it's one of the most successful modern fighters. It was exported to various countries, among them, Israel.
The F-15A was the first version that entered into service in 1972 and it was focused in aerial combat.
The Israeli Air Force bought some F-15A in 1975 under the Peace Fox programme making that way the first foreign customer of the type, as, after the Yom-Kippur war they needed new air-superiority fighter that could face against the modern MiG-25 that was already operating from Arab bases. The first aerial kill achieved by an F-15A was scored by Moshe Melnik in 1979. In the raids against Palestinian factions located in the Lebanon during 1979-1981, the F-15A achieved a reported score of 13 Syrian MiG-21 and two Syrian MiG-25. They also took part in Operation Opera, an air raid against an Iraqi nuclear reactor in June 1981. During the Lebanon-Israeli war of 1982 the F-15A were credited with a total of 41 Syrian aircrafts destroyed, twenty-three MiG-21, seventeen MiG-23 and one Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15_Eagle
2. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mcdonnell-douglas-f-15-eagle
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II is a refurbished version of the F-4J with improved General Electrics J79-GE-17 engines delivering 17900 lbf (79.379Kn) of thrust, AWG-10B featuring digitized circuitry in order to improve performance and reliability.
It also featured an AN/AVG-8 Visual Target Adquisition System (VTAS) which was the world's first helmet target adquisition system. It also has some improvements that are still classified as well as some airframe reinforcement and leading edge slats for improved maneouvering.
The squadrons covered in this post are:

• VF-302: The United States Navy's 'Stallions' squadron received their F-4S in 1980 which were replaced in 1984 by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.
• VMFA-333: The United States Marine Corps' 'Fighting Shamrocks' squadron, received their F-4S in 1979 and kept them in active service until 1987 when they were replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-302

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMFA-333

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4N was an updated version of the original F-4B featuring, among others, smokeless engines and all those improvements made to the previous F-4J version. The projects started in 1972 and, by 1978 228 F-4B had been converted to the F-4N standard.
The next navy squadrons that used the F-4N are covered in this post:

• VF-151: This squadron received their F-4N in 1973 and kept them until 1977 when they were replaced by the F-4S.
• VF-201: This squadron received the F-4N in 1976 replacing the Vought F-8H Crusader. They served until 1984 when the squadron transitioned to the F-4S.
• VF-202: In 1976 too, they received the F-4N replacing the F-8H Crusader. The F-4N were replaced in the early 1980s by the F-4S.
• VF-301: The devil's advocates squadron replaced their F-8L Crusader with the F-4N in 1975. They served until 1980 when replaced by also the F-4S.

Sources:

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VFA-151

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VFA-201

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-202

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-301

6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom F.G.2, British Users part two

The McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom F.G.2 was a British version of the F-4 Phantom that served with the Royal Air Force. We cover the next squadrons in this post:

• No.56 Squadron: The Phantoms F.G.2 replaced the English Electric Lightning F.6 in 1976 and remained in RAF Wattisham. They took part in the Falklands war in 1982 and had the Phantom FG.2 in use until they were replaced in 1992 by the Panavia Tornado F.3. 
• No.64 Squadron: Since 1968 this squadron passed on to be the reserve identity of the No.228 Operational Conversion Unit. It flew the Phantom F.G.1 first, from 1968 and later, in 1970s, it flew the Phantom F.G.2. The Phantoms remained in use with this squadron until January 1991 when the No.228 Operation Conversion Unit was disbanded and so was the No.64 Squadron.
• No.74 Squadron: This squadron had Phantoms F.G.2 briefly as they replaced the American made Phantom F-4J(UK) from January 1991 until October 1992. They were replaced by the BAE Hawk T.1/T.1A..
• No.92 Squadron: This squadron that was part of RAF Germany, received its Phantoms F.G.2 in 1977 at RAF Wildenrath. It kept them until the squadron was disbanded in September 1994.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II_in_UK_service

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._56_Squadron_RAF

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._64_Squadron_RAF

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._74_Squadron_RAF

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._92_Squadron_RAF

6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom F.G.2

We retake the Phantom, this time to write about the British version of it.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom F.G.2 is a tactical fighter, ground-attack and reconnaissance aircraft developed from the previous F-4K for the Royal Air Force that designated it Phantom F.G.2. It was powered by the more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey 203 with a thrust of 12250lb (54.49Kn).
It was ordered after the cancellation of the Hawker Siddeley P.1154 V/STOL. It replaced mainly the English Electric Canberra and Hawker Hunter.
The squadrons covered in this post are:

• No.2 Squadron: This squadron that was based in Germany for most of the cold war received the Phantom F.G.2 in 1970 replacing this way the previous Hawker Hunter F.R.10. They were replaced by the SEPECAT Jaguar G.R.1 six years later, in 1976.
• No.19 Squadron: Being part of RAF Germany, this squadron was part of the fast response interceptor team and received the Phantom F.G.2 January 1977. They were in active service until January 1992.
• No.23 Squadron: This squadron received their Phantoms in November 1975 at RAF Coningsby before moving to RAF Wattisham, replacing the previous English Electric Canberra. When the Falklands War started, it was deployed to Stanley field, in the Falklands Islands. They remained there until October 1988. It was reformed in November 1988 at RAF Leeming with the Panavia Tornado.
• No.29 Squadron: The Phantom F.G.2 replaced the English Electric Lightning F.3 in December 1974 when they moved to RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire. A detachment of this squadron was sent to Wideawake airfield, on Ascension island during the Falklands war, in order to provide aerial cover during that war. They moved on to Stanley in August 1982 after the airbase there was repaired in order to provide aerial defense during the Falklands War. This squadron returned to the United Kingdom in 1987 to replace the Phantom F.G.2 by the Panavia Tornado F.3.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II_variants

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II_in_UK_service

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters.

Aviotehas PN-3

Today it's the turn for one of those rare aircraft projects, the Estonian Aviotehas PN-3.
The Aviotehas PN-3 was an Estonian fighter and surveillance airplane of the late 1930s. It was nicknamed as Isamaa Päästja (the savior of the fatherland in Estonian).
It was designed in 1935 by the engineer Küttner, a resident of St. Peterburg who moved to Germany in 1937 and later was completed by Voldemar Post, Rein Tooma and E. Lesta in 1938 and the airplanes made its maiden flight in January 1939.
Only one prototype was built powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrell engine that featured a top speed of 395km/h (245mph) and fixed landing gear. It was going to be armed with two fixed machine guns in the wings and one flexible defensive machine gun in the back, when flying as a surveillance aircraf. However there were plans to develop an advanced version with retractable landing gear, but the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States in June 1940 stopped any development and it could never enter into mass production.
Regarding the fate of the prototype, it was mobilized in early 1940 but it never could flight and, after the occupation it was taken over by the Soviets who took it to Moscow to test it and it ended as a target for target practice.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviotehas_PN-3
2. https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/PN-3 (translated)

Aermacchi MB-326, Native Italian users

Welcome to our last post about the Aermacchi MB-326. In this one we write about the MB-326 in native hands.
After a long development time, and prototypes, the first Aermacchis MB-326 entered service with the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) on 22nd March 1962. They initally served with the 214º Gruppo (214th Squadron) Lecce-Galatina flight school that was temporalriy based in Brindisi.
They replaced the North American T-6 Texan as trainers and, with 130 hours the pilots had the same training as 210 in a T-6. Even if it was much expensive, the additional advanced training made with a Fiat G.91T, ensured an all-jet training course for the pilots and, furthermore, it ensured a training made in all-national airplanes. Unlike the G.91 that never was too conviceable as a light fighter, the MB-326 was successfully exported to many countries.
It was a low-wing all-metal monoplane that was powered by a Rolls-Royce Viper (Later Bristol-Siddeley Viper) that could delive 11.1Kn (2500lbf) of thrust non-afterburning power with intakes in the wing roots. Each wing had 22 ribs and two spars and had three fuel tanks, a large one in the main fuselage and two smaller ones in the wings. The aft fuselage was entirely dedicated to hold the engine and the cockpit had tandem configuration which was chose to give it better slimmer aerodynamics than the usual side-by-side configuration. The canopy was of the bubble type and the rear of the wings had flaps and ailerons with a trim surface. Sometimes wing fences were added to the mid-wings in order to increase the lift characteristics.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326 (translated)
3. La Bancarella Aeronautica - Aermacchi MB-326 (translated)

Aermacchi MB-326, South African Users

South African obtained a production license for the MB-326M that was named Atlas Impala Mk.I in 1964 and the production started two years later, in 1966. The South African Air Force bought 40 Italian airplanes and 125 of them were locally built by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation. They were used both in the trainer and light attack role.
Seven further airplanes of MB-326K light attack model plus another 15 of them and 78 more were locally built by the Atlas Aircraft Company as the Atlas Impala Mk.II in 1974.
They were used in the South African war against the Angolan and Cuban troops in the border war. During the course of that war only one of them was shot down by an Angolan SA-7.
They had many advantages as they could operate from primitive airfields in order to strike swiftly during the 1970s and most of the 1980s when most of the Impalas were replaced by the Dassault Mirage III and Blackburn Buccaneers in order to perform the ground attack role.
The Impala Mk.II was also used as interceptor when in 1985 one of them shot down various Mil Mi-8 and Mil Mi-24 helicopters cutting off Angolan supply lines.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326#South_African_service
2. http://www.craiglotter.co.za/2015/05/13/military-aircraft-south-african-atlas-impala-macchi-mb-326/

Aermacchi MB-326 Middle Eastern Users

Today we bring you the history of the Aermacchi MB-326 serving with the Dubai Defence Force Air Wing first and the United Arab Emirates Air Force later.
The, back then, independent state of Dubai, bought three of them in 1974 to equip their Defence Force Air Wing with a further three of them in 1978. They were MB-326KD which was basically a version of the MB-326K. They also bought some MB-326LD which was a training version of the MB-326KD. Them all were passed on to United Arab Emirates Air Force in 1999 when the Dubai Defence Force Air Wing was disbanded. They still remain in active service today.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates_Air_Force

Arado Ar.E340

Because it's been quite some time without posting something from Lufwaffe 46, here it comes, a new one.
The Arado Ar.E.340 was a project for a twin-engined dive and tactical bomber designed by Arado at the request of the Reich Air Ministry back in 1939 to compete in the bomber B programme.
As the Reich Air Ministry (RLM) wanted to replace both Junkers Ju.88 and Dornier Do.217 by 1943, four manufacturers submitted plans for new bombers.
It was an atypical design with the engines positioned in a twin-boom arrangement connected only through wing assembly, in order to give the crew a nice visibility. The four crew members would be in the central fuselage in a fully glazed and pressurized cockpit. The expected engines were either two Jumo 222, two Daimler-Benz DB 604 or two BMW 802 large piston engines. Both the engines and the landing gear were mounted to the load-bearing wing centre section. The tail was really unique where the tailplane didn't connect both booms but it was cantilevered outwards in order to give the rear gunner an excellent field of view.
It was going to be equipped with two rear firing MG.151 that were fired remotely from the central cockpit and two more turrets situated behind the cockpit aimed through periscopes with one MG.131 machine guns.
It was expected to carry a payload of 5900kg (13000lb) so the troublesome but powerful Junkers Jumo 222 engine were the preferred ones, however as the engines proved to be too problematic and were cancelled, the whole bomber B programme was cancelled and this one remained only in paper.

Sources:
1. http://www.luft46.com/arado/are340.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_E.340

Aermacchi M.B.-326, Various African Users

Now it's the turn for various African users of this excellent Italian multi-purpose jet aircraft.

• Cameroon: The Armée de l'Air du Cameroun (Cameroon's Air Force) operated six Atlas built Impalas Mk.I and Mk.II.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Force Aérienne Congolaise (Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) received some MB-326GB from the Force Aérienne Zairoise and the were widely employed in the First Congo War that overthrew the Mobutu Regime in 1997.
• Ghana: The Ghana Air Force received 9 M.B.-326F and 4 M.B.-326K. Both of them were used in the light attack role. 
• Togo: The Armée de l'Air Togolaise (Togolese Air Force) bought six Brazilian Xavantes. 
• Tunisia: The Tunisian Air Force bought eleven M.B.-326 both in the light attack and trainer roles in the 1960s.
• Zaire: The Force Aérienne Zairoise (Zaire Air Force) bought some MB-326GB in the 1970s and were employed by Zaire when they intervened in the Angolan Civil War. They were passed on to the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Sources: 
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326
2. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326 (translated)

Aermacchi M.B.-326, Various users

The Aermacchi M.B.-326 is also used nowadays by the American National Test Pilot School. Most of them are ex-Impalas made by the South African Atlas. They are used by the National Test Pilot School located in the Mojave desert, in California.

Regarding the MB-326 in Paraguay, they were bought by the Paraguayan government in the early 1980s from Brazil. They were the Brazilian version, so, technically they were Xavantes. They were involved in many anti-drug operations during the 1990s, like, for instance, when on 6th December 1995 a small number of Xavantes departing from Punta del Este air base, attacked the narcotraffic air force by bombing their hidden camouflaged airfields in the region of Alto Paraná. They served until 2004 when they were replaced by the Embraer Tucano.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326
2. http://www.ntps.edu/component/content/article/49/166
3. http://aeropinakes.com/wordpress/1995/12/06/xavantes-de-la-fuerza-aerea-paraguaya/ (translated)

Aermacchi MB.326, Brazilian Users

When the Brazilian government bought the Dassault Mirage III, they needed a jet trainer that could get along together, so, as the MB-326 was adequate, they bought a license to be locally produced by the Brazilian Embraer. The Brazilian version was called EMB-326 Xavante or AT-26 Xavante, with the AT meaning its double purpose of training and light ground attack.
They entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 1972 and they were produced locally until 1981, being the first airplane in history to be locally produced in Brazil. Embraer built 166 for the Força Aerea Brasileira (Brazilian Air Force) exporting six of them to Togo and ten of them to Paraguay plus eleven of them were sold to Argentina to replace their casualties in the Falklands War.
The light attack version, the MB-326K (AKA Atlas Impala) was also used as they were bought from South Africa. They remained in active service until December 2010 when the withdrawal process was started and they were finally replaced in 2013 by the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326
2. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326 (translated) 

Aermacchi MB-326, Argentinean users

We're back! After some holidays, we come back in the skies with the Argentinean users of this Italian jet.
Back in 1958 the Argentinean Primera Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque (First Aeronaval Attack Squadron) was equipped with Grumman F-9F Panther, however as they were outdated by 1969, they were replaced in this role by the Aermacchi M.B.326GB that same year.
They served through the 1970s and took part in the Falklands War in 1982 as they were part of the Primera Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque. Many of them were deployed along coastal bases, following the invasion, but they soon returned to Punta Indio, the main base of the Squadron. Unlike the more modern M.B.339, none M.B.326 was deployed in the Falklands and they remained on the Argentine mainland. In order to replace the casualties after the war, Argentine bought some M.B.326GB from Brazil.
They served with the Argentine Navy until 1994 when they were placed in reserve and soon later, sold to Zaire and Zambia.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326
2. http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Armada%20Argentina/AviacionNaval/TR-AT-MB326.htm (translated)