Argentine navy future

[Sandhi Yudha]

Remarkable post.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1655960033232924672

|"announces that the signing of the first submarine ...."|
- First submarine to be overhauled?
- First new second-hand submarine?
- First brandnew submarine?


Even the downsized CA-2000 coastal submarine variant is a bit too much for the limited defence budget of Argentina if they choose for the Scorpène design. But i don't know how affordable the Scorpène 1000 variant is.

There is nothing about this on the Twitterpages of DCNS/NG or Howaldswerke-Deutsche Werft/TKMS, so we will see what's true about this story.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

The Argentine government has finalized negotiations to buy four surplus P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

The agreement was reached on 31 August in Buenos Aires during a meeting between Defence Minister Jorge Taiana and representatives of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency.

With the acquisition of these 4 P-3Cs, the surviving S-2T Trackers can be at last retired.

If im not wrong Argentina also has a small amount of P-3Bs, but these are maybe grounded and not operationable.

Argentina buys P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft from Norway

Three are fitted for maritime surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-surface missions, and one is designed for search and rescue operations.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

The Argentina Defence Ministry has signed a letter of intention for the procurement of eight Agusta-Westland AW109M lightweight helicopters. The AW109Ms are planned to be used by the Argentine Navy in a seagoing role aboard the French-built Gowind/Bouchard-class offshore patrol vessels, acquired between 2019 and 2022.

Argentina agrees to buy Leonardo AW109M helicopters

The AW109Ms would be used by the Argentine Navy in a seagoing role aboard French-built Bouchard-class offshore patrol vessels.

www.defensenews.com

I expect that all the helicopters will be built in Italy, without involvement of Westland.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Argentina doesn't even have enough budget to overhaul/modernize its current fleet. So ordering 3 Scorpènes with a value of € 2 billion is highly unlikely, or maybe even totally impossible.

It is to be expected that the four l'Adroit patrolboats are the only modern vessels in thr fleet the coming years.

Financing becomes a hurdle in Argentina’s quest for new submarines

A letter of intent for a purchase from Naval Group is in the works, but the country's bad credit history is holding up a financing arrangement.

www.defensenews.com

 

[koxinga]

It does indicate where their priorities are and their view is subs offer them a strategic capability that is critical. It is a reasonable view, especially since they were sub operators for decades and that capability and institutional knowledge, if lost will take a long time to reacquire.

Still, three brand new subs seems is an unrealistic target. The used options that they had been linked with seems more reasonable as part of their short term plan (since new subs, if they could afford it, would take at years to build) but they are unlikely to be able to get international financing on such old hardware.

 

[koxinga]

A summary which shared some of the points previously reported on X.

Subs being then#1 priority, followed by 2 slightly used frigates (Iver being the preferred choice), and their Meko refurbishment.

Argentine Navy Eyes European Replacement Frigates - Naval News

The Argentine Navy recently announced that it is attempting to acquire two multipurpose frigates in order to replace the aging and inactive frigates

www.navalnews.com

 

[Ananda]

Getting 2 Danish Iver or Norway Fridtjof will have to wait years ahead, as both Danes and Norway will not get new replacement soon. If Argentina wants soon they have to get the last 2 Italian Maestrale or perhaps negotiate Durand de la Penne. If they can negotiate Durand class, it still can provide better AAW capabalities then their Type 42* destroyer.

*) editted.

 

[CJR]

Getting 2 Danish Iver or Norway Fridtjof will have to wait years ahead, as both Danes and Norway will not get new replacement soon. If Argentina wants soon they have to get the last 2 Italian Maestrale or perhaps negotiate Durand de la Penne. If they can negotiate Durand class, it still can provide better AAW capabalities then their Type 45 destroyer.

*Type 42... And given the likely lack of supplies for Sea Dart maintenance since 1982 pretty much anything would provide better AAW capability.

 

[Ananda]

Thanks for reminder, typo already corrected. There's other option for Argentina to enhance their AAW soon, that's either China type 54A Frigate or type 52D destroyer. Each has 32 and 64 VLS. China already moving to type 54B Frigate and Type 55 Destroyer. However both Type 54A and 52D are still around a decade on the oldest one.

China base on the recent marketing move already offering both Type 54A and 52D to export market. Whether conservative Argentina admin want to pursue that, is another question. However it is what available on market soon.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Priority nr.1: Nothing about it in this article, but looking to Argentina's financial/economic situation, it is to be expected that it will be second hand ones. There are enough navies worldwide with Type 209 close to retirement.

Priority nr.2:
"Recently, the Dannish Chief of Defence recommended abandoning the mid-life upgrade of the Iver Huitfeldt-class based on the fact of the cost of the upgrade while the Danish Navy is already looking to acquire new air defence frigates. The decision to cancel the upgrade was in part also due to the fact that the lead vessel, the HDMS Iver Huitfeldt, experienced several technical issues during its deployment in the Red Sea in 2024."

The Dannish Chief of Defence however did not recommend that the vessels of the Iver Huitfeldt-class to be scrapped or sold but to be downgraded in weaponry and repurpose as patrol vessels to replace the smaller Diana-class patrol vessels."

So the Danish Navy doesn't plan to upgrade the vessels because of the high costs, technical issues, and the fact that they want to modify and downgrade them to large patrolvessels. In my opinion these points make them to unsuitable for acquisition, and i think the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen class are a better choice.

The Meastrale Class has the similar age and systems as the MEKO 360 destroyers but are in a better condition, looking to the lower costs of the procurement, training, logistics and time savings in absorbing them into Argentina's fleet, this class could be the best choice.

Priority nr.3: Upgrading the MEKO 360s has maybe the biggest chances of success.