Armada was a major figure in the 1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt. 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: He was one of the "three main conspirators", and had planned to become president. When Armada went to the legislature, he and Tejero disagreed about the direction of the government, and the coup fell apart. Within five days, Armada was dismissed from all positions and arrested.