MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina sacks the head of the Navy, first disciplinary action since the loss of ARA San Juan
Admiral Marcelo Srur was the first known disciplinary action taken by President o Macri’s administration since contact was lost with the ARA San Juan on Nov 15 Argentina fired the head of its navy a month after a submarine disappeared in the South Atlantic with 44 crew members onboard, a government spokesman said on Saturday. Local paper La Nacion had reported earlier, citing anonymous sources, that Navy Admiral Marcelo Eduardo Hipolito Srur was let go by the defense minister.
The ARA San Juan submarine has not been located and is thought to have exploded/imploded following malfunction of its batteries..
Admiral Marcelo Srur was the first known disciplinary action taken by President Mauricio Macri’s administration since contact was lost with the ARA San Juan on Nov. 15.
“It was decided to remove him,” a government spokesman said.
Families of the crew members criticized Macri’s government for not clearly communicating with them and for abandoning rescue efforts.
The navy said on Nov. 27 that water that entered the submarine’s snorkel caused its battery to short-circuit before it went missing. The navy had previously said international organizations detected a noise that could have been the submarine’s implosion the same day contact was lost.
Hope of rescuing survivors was abandoned on Nov. 30. The navy said it searched for double the amount of time the submarine would have had oxygen. An international search for the submarine is still underway.
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Read all commentsObviously the Argentine admiralty must bear full responsibility for this disaster.
Dec 16th, 2017 - 06:09 pm +3There needs to be a serious criminal investigation of those at fault considering all the graft and corruption in military contracts with any responsible civil authorities to be prosecuted as well.
@Frank “I see the commander of Almirante Irizar says that - despite the $$$$$$ poured into her - she is not fit to go to Antarctica ....”
Dec 17th, 2017 - 05:12 pm +3And the C-130 they try to use for re-supply to the argie base in British Antarctica isn't doing so well either. It was stuck here in Río Gallegos a few days ago.
So the Uruguayan air force stepped up to bail out Argentina again, by delivering enough fuel with their C-130 to temporarily keep them from freezing in the dark. (where would these Third World backwaters be without those C-130s?) As if the lessons learned from the lost argie submarine were not enough (“don't tell anybody that we are having a little problem” ) now the argie air force is trying to enforce its own news blackout over the rather serious problems with their C-130 here. Word on the street here is that this aircraft suffered an engine fire and the brakes don't work properly. Oh, and Argentina is planning to do its own “upgrades” to its other C-130. (Vivir con lo nuestro, y morir y el intento).
Word here is that the argies may not be able to resupply the “Marambio” and may have to either abandon it for the season or reduce the number of personnel there.
Argentines are the only country that insists on maintaining separate air force, navy and army bases in Antarctica. Incredibly inefficient and unnecessary to say the least. But then, not surprizing.
Dec 17th, 2017 - 06:14 pm +3Other country bases will help out on an emergency basis, weather permitting.
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