The first foreign contract was in February 1978 with the Islamic Air Force of Mauritania for four IA-58A planes plus support and training at a full cost of U$10.8 million. Another eight units were also negotiated as options. When Mauritanian President Moktar Ould Daddah was ousted in a coup d'état, the contract was cancelled. The plane series n°15 and n°018 were built and ready to ship with Mauritanian registration numbers. Then were incorporated to the Argentine Air Force as A-515 to A-518 keeping the desert camouflage and configuration.