MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK lifts ban on sale of spares to Argentine Navy

United Kingdom lifted the ban on the sale of Rolls Royce spares to the Argentine Navy vessels, according to reports in the Buenos Aires newspaper, Ambito Financiero

The decision was communicated by Rolls Royce representatives to Argentine Admiral Jorge Godoy during his recent visit to Britain for the 200 anniversary commemoration of Admiral Nelson's victory in Trafalgar.

The ban on spares has been effective since the 1982 South Atlantic conflict.

Ambito recalls that Britain has been a historical supplier of the Argentine Navy including two cruisers currently on service, Hercules and Santisima Trinidad, plus attack and anti submarine helicopters.

The Buenos Aires daily also points out that according to Sir Lawrence Freedman's book, "The Official History of the Falklands' Campaign", prior to the conflict in 1981, Britain offered Argentina the sale of an aircraft carrier (HMS Hermes) to replace the aging "25 de Mayo" and VTOL aircraft.

Apparently at the time Buenos Aires British Embassy Naval attaché Captain Julian James Mitchell and his Argentine counterpart in London, Rear Admiral Walter Allara went on a tour of British naval bases. The purpose of the invitation was to convince the Argentines on the purchase but allegedly R/A Allara, who also happened to belong to Naval Intelligence, gathered as much information as possible about the Royal Navy's capability and readiness.

R/A Allara was later named commander of the Argentine Surface Fleet and was responsible for sea actions during the 1982 conflict.

Argentina is not known to have purchased major naval equipment since 1982. On the contrary during the ten years of President Carlos Menem the military budget was drastically and consistently reduced.

However with the coming of President Kirchner and the economy relatively stabilized, his Defence minister Jose Pampuro has promised to increase the defence budget.

Actually last February Mr. Pampuro visited the Spanish IZAR shipyards in El Ferrol where he stated Argentina's interest in purchasing five patrol corvettes which were to be jointly built with the Argentine naval industry. IZAR yards have built frigates for the Spanish, Norwegian and United States navies.

President Kirchner at the time also reopened the Manuel Domecq García yard which at one time was capable of building and repairing conventional submarines.

France has also tempted the Argentine Navy with landing craft vessels which are currently being decommissioned by the French Navy.