The Government of Argentina is negotiating the purchase of four large Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the US. According to information obtained from the portal Infodefense, there will be two helicopters for the Air Force (FAA) and two for the Argentine Army.
The aircraft will be obtained through the US Foreign Military Sales program. The FMS serves as a facilitator for procurement of defense products, where the Security and Defense Cooperation Agency acts as an intermediary in negotiations between the government and the manufacturer of the product. FMS purchases can be funded by either the US or the customer.
According to website, the chinook helicopters They will be based in Campo de Mayo, the base that is home to the Army Aviation Command and the VII Air Brigade. In addition to the helicopters, the negotiation includes a logistical contract for five years and the training of crew and mechanics.
The purchase of the Chinooks is aimed at improving the air transport capabilities of the Armed Forces of Argentina.
Pursuant to a resolution by the t Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, the Army's CH-47s will be used in civil defense and firefighting missions, while the FAA helicopters will fulfill the same missions, in addition to ing the Army's special operations troops. .
If all goes well with the purchase of helicopters, Argentina will once again have heavy transport capacity with a model that has operated for more than 40 years. In the past, the FAA and Army operated three and two CH-47Cs, respectively.
Acquired in 1979, the Chinooks of the Air Force received the registrations H-91, 92 and 93, while the Army examples received the registrations AE-520 and 521. One of the main missions of the CH-47C was the to the Antarctic Program of Argentina .
Helicopters even participated in the Falklands/Malvinas War in 1982, where the AE-521 was shot down by a Royal Navy Sea Harrier FRS.1. The AE-520 was captured by the British and integrated into the Royal Air Force fleet.
