In the same week that he signed the purchase of second-hand F-16 fighters, Argentina received authorization from the United States to purchase a Basler BT-67, a turboprop and modernized version of the classic twin-engine Douglas DC-3. The plane will be used by the Argentine Air Force (FAA) in activities in Antarctica.
The sale of the plane, through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, was approved by the US Department of State. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress, which must still approve the agreement, valued at US$14,3 million. According to DSCA, Argentina requested the purchase of a BT-67, engines and spare parts, ground equipment and services, maintenance and logistical , personnel training and other items.
Em note, the agency says the sale s “foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by enhancing the security of an important non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in South America.”
The document also makes clear that the 'modern' DC-3 will be used on missions to the South Pole, pointing out that the BT-67 provides “additional capacity for airdrop and airlift operations to serve Antarctica during the winter. This will reduce the burden on other means of air transport in Argentina.”
In a recent interview with Pucara Defensa, Brigadier Xavier Isaac, head of Argentina's t Chiefs of Staff, had already stated that the FAA was interested in the BT-67 to its activities on the Frozen Continent.
“We are well defined with the incorporation of a Basler BT-67 for the Air Force. It would be one for now and the idea is to reach two. With this means we can start to think, with the Petrel [aerodrome] enabled and the characteristic of this air means, its autonomy, about being able to operate more frequently in Belgrano II”, said the Brigadier.
The Douglas DC-3 – also known by the military designation C-47 Skytrain – is among the most successful aircraft in history. The model was fundamental for the popularization of air transport and was a key part in the Allied effort to win the Second World War, also becoming a symbol of that conflict.
The BT-67, in turn, is an updated version of the old DC-3. The main difference is in the engine, where the radial engines give way to Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprops, giving the aircraft more autonomy and reliability. In the cabin, analog displays are replaced by LCD screens. The BT-67 is employed by several civilian and government agencies.
