[1] Armada was a major figure in the 1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt.

[2] Though he pretended to be a mediator in the coup by going to the Congress of Deputies after Antonio Tejero had taken the legislature hostage, Armada's full involvement soon came to light:[3] He was one of the "three main conspirators",[2] and had planned to become president.

[3] When Armada went to the legislature, he and Tejero disagreed about the direction of the government, and the coup fell apart.

[3] In April 1983, Armada was sentenced to 30 years in prison,[2][3] but received a compassionate release in December 1988 for health reasons.

[2][3] He spent the rest of his life in Rivadulla, Galicia, Spain, and died in 2013.