2024-02-24 14:48:57
The Argentine Government is finalizing the economic details to finalize the purchase of four P3 Orion Charly aircraft. They are military patrol and surveillance aircraft built in the United States and currently owned by Norway.
As confirmed by TN from different official sources, the political and technical issue is already closed between the Ministry of Defense and the Norwegian government, and all that remains is for the Ministry of Economy to enable the transfer of money to complete the payment. A part will be financed by the North American government. From Casa Rosada they avoided giving specific figures of the operation.
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The acquisition of these aircraft is part of a strategy of the Argentine Government to strengthen Defense assets and increase maritime, air and land controls. They add to the 24 F-16 combat aircraft, also made in the United States and in the hands of Denmark, that Argentina plans to buy in the short term when financing for the purchase is unlocked.
Beyond the military issue, there is a strong geopolitical burden in these purchases. The Casa Rosada rejected offers from other countries such as China and India and turned towards the White House, just at a time when the bilateral relationship is strengthening at an accelerated pace with the visit of senior North American officials, such as that of the Secretary of State himself, Antony Blinken.
These aircraft have a system that allows them to be linked with patrol vessels and will be at the disposal of the Joint Maritime Command. (Photo: TN capture).
It is very likely that the Norwegian planes will arrive in Argentina before the Danish ones. Firstly, it is a less complex operation because it involves a smaller number of aircraft (4 versus 24) and, therefore, a lower economic operation.
On the other hand, the four P3 Orion aircraft that the Ministry of Defense plans to acquire are already in Houston, a city in Texas in the United States, waiting for the Argentine crew to fly them to our country. While the F-16s are still in Denmark waiting for technical and legal issues clearance.
Furthermore, members of the Argentine Air Force practically do not need extra training to pilot the P3 Orion Charly since until a few years ago the P3 Orion Bravo were active in Argentina, the previous model to which the Government is now seeking to acquire. The latter have reached their useful life and are now stopped in Trelew, where the new ones will also go once they arrive in the country.
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The acquisition of the four P3 Orion aircraft has been postponed since mid-October of last year when the then Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana signed an agreement with the head of the D3 Department of the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency (NDMA).
Officials in charge of the negotiation at that time confirmed to TN that the Argentine military crew traveled to Houston to bring the planes, but due to the delay in sending the money they turned back and everything was paralyzed until now. In short, the planes are reserved waiting for the Argentine disbursement.
These aircraft have an autonomy of up to 14 hours, which allows proper patrolling over, for example, mile 200 of the Argentine Sea. (Photo: RICHARD WAINWRIGHT/AFP)By: RICHARD WAINWRIGHT | AFP
The acquisition of these new aircraft responds to a geopolitical issue, but, above all, one of defense of the national territory. They have a flight autonomy of between 13 and 14 hours, which allows them to cover without problems the Argentine maritime coastline, the continental shelf and mile 200, where hundreds of fishing boats and the patrolling of the Armed Forces together with the Naval Prefecture are concentrated. .
In addition, the American-made Norwegian aircraft have a radar to monitor 60 miles on each side, connection to the AIS naval monitoring system and the possibility of connecting directly with the patrol ships that constantly navigate on the edge of the exclusive zone. Argentine economy.
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“Having these planes represents a substantial advantage because they allow for a surveillance projection and because they advance to recognize the area where the ship will later navigate,” defense experts explained to this medium. There is a strong expectation that this purchase will be completed.
Once they arrive in the country, these four aircraft will be at the operational disposal of the Joint Maritime Command, which depends on the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, headed by Brigadier General Xavier Isaac.
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