On March 21, 2025, Valen Aviation Photos took the first images of the initial prototype of the IA-100B Malvina trainer aircraft on the flight line of the Fábrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA) in Córdoba, Argentina. The IA-100B is under development to serve as a primary trainer for the Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina, FAA). Its development marks the beginning of a new chapter in Argentina’s efforts to produce a locally manufactured military training aircraft, following several years of conceptual development and inter-institutional agreements.
The IA-100 program began in December 2014 as a project led by FAdeA to assess local design and production capabilities for a low-wing, tandem-seat trainer aircraft. Initially conceived as a technology demonstrator, the IA-100A flew for the first time on August 8, 2016, to demonstrate FAdeA’s production capabilities using composite materials. This early prototype, configured as a side-by-side, low-wing composite monoplane with fixed landing gear and powered by a 180 hp Lycoming AEIO-360 B1F engine, was not intended for series production but served as a technological benchmark.
The air forces of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay each operate different fleets of training aircraft and are evaluating or have expressed interest in acquiring the IA-100 for primary flight instruction.