3 arid FACs #1 - Angolan EMB.326KAM Xavante

[comrade harps]

EMBRAER EMB.326KAM Xavante
a/c 207, FAC Flight, 13° Esquadrón de Combate (13° EdC), Angolan Air Force (AAF)
Lubango/Mukanka (FNUB) Base Aérea No.2, Angola, 15 July 1980
Personal mount of Captain Carlos Chaínho

When UNITA gained power in Angola in June 1975, it did so with the active support of Brazil and Cuba. Inevitably, this led to the Angolan armed forces being heavily equipped with hardware produced in both of these countries. For the Angolan Air Force (AAF), by 1980 this meant that they were flying aircraft such as the Cuban-built Fairchild FF.260WAn Warrior, Brazil's EMBRAER EMB-326GP/GA/LA armed trainers and EMB-326KP/KA/KAM Xavante single-seat attack jets and EMBRAER-built Dassault Canada Mirage 50AN/DA/RA fighters. While the Mirages conducted fighter, photo-reconnaissance and interdiction missions, the Warriors and Xavante performed CAS, BAI, tactical reconnaissance and FAC. Canadair/GAF Jaguar International (Africa) attack jets were due to enter service in 1981, replacing EMBRAER EMB.91YP fighter-bombers that were originally delivered to the Portuguese colonial forces.

106 EMB.326GPs and KPs were delivered to Portuguese colonial forces between 1965 and 1970, of which 11 GPs and 17 KPs were inherited by the independent AAF in 1975. 14 new EMB.326GA and 26 KA were delivered in 1976, followed by 20 LA and 40 KAM versions in 1977-78.

The LA and KAM models were among the last EMB.326s built before production switched to the EMB.339. Designed for combat, both featured modernised avionics suites with HUD, HOTAS and a new nav/attack system. In addition to unguided bombs, rockets, cluster munitions, gun pods, reconnaissance pods and AIM-9J Sidewinders, the KAM and LA were integrated with GBU.12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. LAs used the AN/AVQ-23E Pave Spike pod for laser targeting and both versions had the Pave Penny laser spot tracker installed. They also carried the ventrally mounted Brazilian made Gradiente Montante chaff/flare dispenser rail.

During Operation Just Defence in July, August and September 1980, Angolan Warrior and Xavante aircrew flew around the clock combat missions. Just Defence was launched in response to the Anzanian-led invasion of Angola and an associated series of uprisings across sub-Saharan Africa. It would prove to be the UN's last major action in the theatre. With non-African UN ground troops and contractors mostly withdrawn from the continent, Just Defence was distinguished by its massive application of tactical and strategic naval airpower against Anzania and its Red allies. Three months into the Operation, Black Power mutinies in the US military brought Just Defence to a crashing halt, precipitating the Second US Civil War. With the US knocked out of the conflict, Africa's UN-backed governments quickly succumbed to a series of revolutions and Red invasions. Operation Just Defence began on 11 July 1980 in response to the Anzanian-led invasion of Angola that began 2 days earlier.

Based at Lubango/Mukanka (FNUB) Base Aérea No.2, the mixed force of EMB.326KAMs and LAs of 13° Esquadrón de Combate (13° EdC) was tasked with providing CAS, BAI, photo-reconnaissance and FAC in southern Angola and across the border into Namibia. 13° EdC's FAC Flight worked with the air forces of Angola and Nigeria, plus carrier-based aviation from Brazil, Canada and the US to target the Reds. FAC Flight marked targets with Pave Spike and, as seen here, Orenda Scarlett Conqueror 100mm rockets armed with WP warheads fired from Orenda Type 100-4 Paprika Plain 4 round launchers. The Xavante of FAC Flight usually flew in mixed EMB.326KAM and LA pairs during Just Defence. While the FAC Flight of 13° EdC mostly flew in daylight, the AAF provided nocturnal FAC through the auspices of 11° EdC, which had Pave Spot day/night laser targeting equipment installed on its FF.260WAn Warriors.

The aircraft modelled here is depicted as photographed at Lubango/Mukanka (FNUB) Base Aérea No.2 on 15 July 1980. Photographed with the plane was its pilot, Captain Carlos Chaínho. Despite being forced to eject after a Strella SAM strike on 9 August, Captain Chaínho fought until 23 August. Joining the defenders of Luanda (FNLU) Base Aérea No.1, Chaínho was found unconscious by Angolan Marxist MPLA troops, having been injured by shrapnel and blast concussion. After hospitalisation and serving time as a POW, Chaínho was released in November 1981 and worked as a builders labourer, truck driver and bus driver until retirement. 

[Old Wombat]

Nice build!

Really nice camo!

[zenrat]

Nice build!

Really nice camo!

Second that.  Good one comrade.

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Nice build!

Really nice camo!

I'll echo that!

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice!  Reminds me that I want to do an ex-Portuguese/Angolan G.91 some day... 

[comrade harps]

Nice!  Reminds me that I want to do an ex-Portuguese/Angolan G.91 some day... 

My mention of the EMB.91YP came from having built many years ago an ex-Portuguese EMB.91Y in a Revolutionary Mozambique scheme. Go for it!

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, it might become an earlier G.91/R in my case - but I might use part of your background, if I am allowed to? 

[DogfighterZen]

That looks good!

[NARSES2]

That looks good!

It does indeed 

[comrade harps]

Well, it might become an earlier G.91/R in my case - but I might use part of your background, if I am allowed to? 

I approve 

[Wardukw]

Another lovely bird Harp mate and again  on the camo 

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, it might become an earlier G.91/R in my case - but I might use part of your background, if I am allowed to? 

I approve 

Thank you. We'll see where it leads.