At the time the ship was approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi)[4][5] north of the Falkland Islands searching for the crew of a Canberra bomber that had been shot down two days earlier by an AIM-9 Sidewinder AAM (air-to-air missile) fired from a British BAe Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.1 (XZ451).

One of the missiles narrowly missed the bridge, the second hit Alférez Sobral's fibreglass motorboat, injuring the crew of a 20 mm cannon and knocking out the radio aerials.

[6] She was found and helped by a Sikorsky S-61N LV-OCL (a civilian helicopter requisitioned by the Argentine Air Force as part of Escuadron Fenix[7] and piloted by First Lieutenant Lucero) which evacuated the injured.

From 1993 Alférez Sobral was based at Ushuaia; in February 2010 she moved to Mar del Plata switching places with ARA Gurruchaga.

[14] ARA (A-9) Alférez Sobral, Sotoyomo-class aviso[2][15] Displacement 835 tonnes Length 43.6 m Beam 10.3 m Draught 2.2 m Propulsion 2 GM 12-278 A diesel-electric 2200 HP engines, 2 1500 HP generators, 1 propeller Cruising speed 8 kn Maximum speed 13 kn Range 16,500 nm Armament 1 Bofors 40/60 C cannon, 2 x 20mm Oerlikon cannons Crew: 46