MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine President visits first Hercules completely remodeled in the country
Pte. Macri (C) , escorted by the Defense Minister Julio Martínez and Air Force Chief-of-Staff Brigadier General Enrique Amrein among other high ranking military personnel. President Mauricio Macri visited the El Palomar Air Base, to inspect the first Hercules C-130 aircraft to undergo a modernisation process entirely in the country. During his tour of the base, Macri spoke with Air Force aviators who operate these aircraft in humanitarian missions worldwide.
The president was shown the details of the remodeling, escorted by the Defense Minister Julio Martínez and Air Force Chief-of-Staff Brigadier General Enrique Amrein among other high ranking military personnel.
The Argentine Aircraft FADEA Factory modernised the aircraft with dealine-oriented domestic processes adapted from specifications from the United States. The entire remodelling took 10 months to be completed and involved more than 150 highly qualified technicians and engineers. Three additional C-130s are to undergo similar remodelling in the coming months.
The aircraft registered TC-61 already completed a mission to Antarctica featuring new digital communication systems, navigation, digitization of in-cabin information , re-wiring and a new air conditioning system.
Among the humanitarian missions the C-130s are usually chosen to perform is the assistance to victims such as those of an avalanche in Jujuy in March and the April floods in Comodoro Rivadavia a month ago as well as other natural catastrophes in Ecuador and Peru.
In addition to that, the Hercules takes part in Antarctic missions thanks to its ability to operate at temperatures of minus 45 degrees Celsius. It crosses over 100 times per campaign from Rio Gallegos to the Argentine bases to bring in fuel, food and other types of supplies as well as personnel. It is also involved on a regular basis in scientific missions.
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Read all comments“completely remodeled in the country.”
Jun 14th, 2017 - 01:44 pm +3How typically misleading. How very argentine.
Lockheed Martin developed the upgrade kits and invited the argentines to observe how to do the upgrades, at the LM facility in the US. Then LM sent their personnel and the upgrade components to Argentina so that they could crow like a bunch of banty roosters that the upgrades had been done in Argentina.
Lockheed Martin had an authorized C-130 Hercules Service Center in Córdoba, Argentina. Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina (LMAASA) operated until the Kirchner years to repair Argentine and other C130 aircraft in South America. Kirchnerism of course couldn't support such an operation and couldn't or wouldn't pay the associated bills, so Lockheed Martin negotiated an exit, at which time the Argentine C130 aircraft fell into disrepair, something that jeopardised Argentina's supply to its bases located in British Antarctica. With the advent of the Macri government, the Argentine relationship with Lockheed Martin was restored and the C130s are now receiving life-extending upgrades.
I am sorry to you,that this C-130 was “ completely renovated in the country ” is the correct wording, and not re-modelled. I take it that renovated was lost in translation.
Jun 14th, 2017 - 04:53 pm +3Sorry pgerman, I used to work for Lockheed Martin as an engineer. I flew a lot of places in the C-130H models. I started traveling by C-130 in the military in 1970. The use of the terms “remodeled” or “renovated” in this context are incorrect. The term used in the contractual materials is “upgrade.” The few knowledgeable argie engineers at FAMEA also use the expression “upgrade” even when speaking argento. It's easier to say than “actualización.” The term that the Argie Air Force uses formally is “actualización.” As in “actualización de aviónica.” “Modernization” and its espanish cognate are used in press releases and sometimes interchangeably with “actualización.” If you review the agreements between the parties you will find the definitions of the terms. Observe:
Jun 14th, 2017 - 06:34 pm +3”The Government of Argentina has requested a possible purchase of commercial-off-the-shelf avionics upgrade of five (5) C-130H aircraft that includes minor Class IV modifications, ground handling equipment, repair and return, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, tools and test equipment, personnel training and training equipment, programmed depot maintenance, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of program support. The estimated cost is $166 million. “
”La firma elegida para la actualización de los sistemas fue la empresa L-3 Aerospace Systems [partner of Lockheed Martin] que mediante un contrato a través del sistema FMS (Foreign Military Sales) de 75 millones de dólares entrega a la institución castrense un avión completamente actualizado, más la provisión de los kits completos de modernización para las restantes maquinas, un simulador de procedimientos, toda la documentación y manuales, más el adiestramiento de varias tripulaciones, además del entrenamiento de especialistas y mecánicos para el vital mantenimiento de estos aviones.”
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