Eagle Biography
Horacio Mir Gonzalez
The courage, dedication, and airmanship of Horacio Mir Gonzalez set a fine example
for the fighter pilots of Fuerza Aerea Argentina (FAA), the Argentine Air Force,
during the 1982 Malvinas Conflict. Born the son of a fighter pilot in 1947, Mir
Gonzalez always dreamed of flying fighters. Graduating from the FAA Academy in
1968, he completed pilot training a year later. He was then assigned to IV Air
Brigade's fighter lead-in training and operational flying in the F-86F Sabre
. He later returned to the lead-in course and served as an instructor pilot
for 3 years.
He transferred to VIII Air Brigade in 1976 and flew the Dassault
Mirage IIIE, primarily in an air defense role. In November 1978, he became one
of the first instructor pilots for Argentina's newest air defense fighter, the M-5
Dagger, an Israeli-built version of the Dassault Mirage V. Mir
Gonzalez attended the Israeli Air-to-Air Combat Instructor Course and then returned
home to train the cadre of Dagger pilots. Grupo 6 de Caza (Fighter Group 6)
was formed in late 1979 and grew slowly to 37 aircraft over the next 2 years. When
the Argentinean occupation of the Malvinas Islands began on 2 April 1982, Grupo
6 had just activated its first two operational squadrons.
Mir Gonzalez, still one
of the few experienced Dagger pilots, immediately began an intensive
training program emphasizing anti-shipping tactics to prepare his unit. As a senior
flight commander, Capitan Mir Gonzalez was determined to set an example for the men
he had trained and would now lead. During May 1982, he led 20 combat missions
across the nearly 400 miles of open, frigid water to the Malvinas. Facing a lethal
British air defense system, they used a very low-level, high-speed attack profile
as protection against surface-to-air missiles and relied on speed to evade the
British Sea Harriers.
A typical mission consisted of a 45-minute overwater flight
to the Malvinas, less than 4 minutes in the target area, and then a 45-minute
flight home. Without air refueling capability, the Daggers routinely landed with
only 4 minutes fuel remaining. After the conflict, he attended the FAA War College
where he was selected for a second year of study to prepare for duty on the General
Staff. Mayor Mir Gonzalez then commanded Escuadron II of Grupo 6 de Caza from 1985
until his transfer in 1987 to the General Staff where he worked in the Operational
Plans Directorate. Vice Comordoro Mir Gonzalez is now assigned to Homestead AFB,
Florida as Second Secretary, Office of the Secretary General, Organization for
Cooperation of the Air Forces of the Americas.
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As the British established a beachhead at San Carlos Water on 21 May 1982,
Capitan Horacio Mir Gonzalez led four Daggers east across the South Atlantic.
Approaching the target area at high speed just 30 feet above the water, he
spotted a ship. Ignoring heavy antiaircraft fire and the threat of
surface-to-air missiles, he maneuvered directly toward her, blazing a path
with 30-mm cannon fire, then released his 1,000 lb bomb, skipping it into the
ship as he roared overhead. Inspired by this display of courage, his wingmen
pressed their attacks. The damage inflicted by Capitan Mir Gonzalez and his
flight led to the sinking of HMS Ardent.
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