Overview
- Carlos Alfredo Rinke died in Córdoba at age 70 while awaiting a bone marrow transplant, according to multiple Argentine outlets and statements from the veterans community.
- Rinke served in the Fuerza Aérea Argentina’s Grupo 5 de Caza and flew six combat missions from the continental base at Río Gallegos during the 1982 Malvinas/Falklands War.
- His sorties included high-profile strikes linked in reporting to the damage to HMS Antelope, the operation that involved HMS Broadsword and the sinking of HMS Coventry, and the attacks on RFA Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram at Bahía Agradable.
- An iconic low‑altitude photograph taken by a British sailor showing Rinke’s A‑4B Skyhawk skimming the waves has become a lasting symbol of the air campaign and of veterans’ memory.
- Rinke rose to the rank of Comodoro, served as an air attaché in the Argentine embassy in the United States, kept a low public profile after retirement, and his death has prompted public tributes from veteran groups and political figures.