Some questions about the modification of Argentine aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo

[PreMars]

Why Argentine aircraft carriers were unable to carry Super Etendard during the Falklands War?
Some information claims that the ship only underwent relevant modifications after the war, including upgrading the catapult and inertial navigation system. The stern lift was welded. There is also information that a modification was carried out before the war to expand the area of the angled deck.
Can anyone tell me the details of these modifications and when exactly they occurred?

 

[BlackBat242]

Here are some pics of her before the war.

As she was in the Netherlands Navy - note flight deck aft of the island:




Some time after she was transferred to Argentina, but before 1978, there were a couple of small platform extensions made to the flight deck just aft of the island, to allow two aircraft to be parked there. I can't see them in ones from shortly after her transfer, but they are there later:




In this image from between 1978 and 1980 you can just see them - note the helicopter on the forward one:



In all of the photos you can see the original stepped fore end of the angle deck the Dutch put on her when they first modernized her.

Between 1980 and 1982 the Argentines enlarged the flight deck extensions aft of the island into one section that could hold 3 Skyhawks or 2 Trackers - and improved the fore end of the island to a proper squared-off shape:

Note the length of the catapult... you can see the outline of the angled jet blast deflector plate about halfway between the forward A-4 and the fore aircraft lift. It looks the same as in the first post-transfer photo in this post. The aft aircraft lift is still marked out:




And later we can see the aft lift markings are gone, and there are 3 Super Etendards on the flight deck extension aft of the island, but the catapult looks to be the same length - my understanding was that it had been in poor condition during the Falklands war, and was fully reconditioned afterwards, rather than lengthened, but I'm open to supported arguments to the contrary:

 

[F.L.]

The stern lift was welded.

I believe that what led to the welding of the elevator was a later accident that had led to the collapse of the front landing gear of a SuE, following the collapse of the elevator.

First landing and catapulting of a Sue on 25 de Mayo, in 1983.
And a photo of the 25 de Mayo probably from the end of the 60s.

 

[Archibald]

I like those pictures of a S.E on 25 de mayo. France could have tried that on Arromanches ! (half joking).

 

[PreMars]

Here are some pics of her before the war.

As she was in the Netherlands Navy - note flight deck aft of the island:

View attachment 726536


Some time after she was transferred to Argentina, but before 1978, there were a couple of small platform extensions made to the flight deck just aft of the island, to allow two aircraft to be parked there. I can't see them in ones from shortly after her transfer, but they are there later:

View attachment 726537


In this image from between 1978 and 1980 you can just see them - note the helicopter on the forward one:

View attachment 726538

In all of the photos you can see the original stepped fore end of the angle deck the Dutch put on her when they first modernized her.

Between 1980 and 1982 the Argentines enlarged the flight deck extensions aft of the island into one section that could hold 3 Skyhawks or 2 Trackers - and improved the fore end of the island to a proper squared-off shape:

Note the length of the catapult... you can see the outline of the angled jet blast deflector plate about halfway between the forward A-4 and the fore aircraft lift. It looks the same as in the first post-transfer photo in this post. The aft aircraft lift is still marked out:

View attachment 726540


And later we can see the aft lift markings are gone, and there are 3 Super Etendards on the flight deck extension aft of the island, but the catapult looks to be the same length - my understanding was that it had been in poor condition during the Falklands war, and was fully reconditioned afterwards, rather than lengthened, but I'm open to supported arguments to the contrary:

View attachment 726541

So the details of the catapult modification is still a mystery? I guess it happened after falklands war too because the story of fully loaded A-4Q being unable to take off is well known.

 

[PreMars]

I believe that what led to the welding of the elevator was a later accident that had led to the collapse of the front landing gear of a SuE, following the collapse of the elevator.

First landing and catapulting of a Sue on 25 de Mayo, in 1983.
And a photo of the 25 de Mayo probably from the end of the 60s.

Right. The book Handbrake Dassault Super Etendard Fighter-Bombers in the Falklands Malvinas War, 1982 written by Mariano Sciaroni and Alejandro Amendolara mentioned this.

 

[F.L.]

So the details of the catapult modification is still a mystery? I guess it happened after falklands war too because the story of fully loaded A-4Q being unable to take off is well known.

I think the catapult still had the power to launch fully loaded Skyhawks, but the boilers didn't allow the necessary speed to be reached without wind.