Argentine defense minister Agustín Rossi is furious with the UK for having blocked the purchase deal of several Korean manufactured training jet fighters FA-50 to re-equip the Air Force and which he had anticipated last October. “A new display of imperial arrogance”, Rossi described the incident.
Another hurdle has cropped up for the Argentine Air Force attempt to begin recovering its once might, which succumbed during the Falkland Islands conflict and with obsolescence. In effect, a long list of countries have been most willing to sell supersonic fighter jets to Argentina, but mainly costs and the British arms embargo have conspired.
A top-ranking delegation from China's National Aero-Technology import-export corporation, CATIC, is currently in Argentina to discuss defense cooperation and with the proposal to offer the Argentine Air Force supersonic capable aircraft, according to InfoDefensa.ar, an Argentine site which specializes in defense industry issues.
A De Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Twin Otter of Argentina's Líneas Aéreas del Estado (LADE) took off from Comodoro Rivadavia airport Tuesday morning and landed at Puerto Madryn at 10.10 am in what became the new route's maiden flight.
Argentina Defense minister announced that the country will design and build a dual training purpose aircraft to be named IA-100 Malvina and will demand an initial investment of US$ 2,5 million.
The Argentine air force has selected South Korea’s FA-50 as its next fighter, Jane's reported this week. The decision is good news for a once-proud air arm that, in recent years, has precipitously declined in size and effectiveness. Argentine officials as early as 2016 had asked to evaluate the twin-seat, supersonic FA-50, Jane's reported.
An open conference by two Argentine Air Force pilots at an elite college in Buenos Aires had to be suspended following “ill-treatment” and overall questioning of Argentine armed forces conduct by the students and apparently one of the parents that were also invited to the event.
Argentina’s Armed Forces will soon play a bigger role in the fight against drug-trafficking and terrorism, as the president Mauricio Macri administration looks to assigning new responsibilities to the military in domestic and border security.
The purchase by Argentina of five refurbished French Super Etendard to help with security measures when Argentina hosts the 2018 G20 summit, which will bring together the world's top leaders, has triggered a dispute among the country's services since the current defense minister, Oscar Aguad wants to concentrate all military aircraft in the Air Force.
The Argentine minister of defense Oscar Aguad headed the welcome ceremony for the first four of twelve last generation Beechcraft T-6C Texan II purchased by Argentina for the training of its military pilots, and which on Monday arrived at the Military Aviation School in Cordoba.