MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan scientific, military team flies to Antarctica

Uruguay's deployment in Antarctica will deepen cooperation with Spain, Colombia, The Netherlands, Ecuador, Germany, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and Chile, among others

A group of over 40 Uruguayan military and scientific personnel were flown to Antarctica aboard an Ururuguayan Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft in a move to promote 14 projects in the areas of geosciences, life sciences, social and human sciences, as well as environmental monitoring, it was reported Thursday in Montevideo.

According to a statement from the Defense Ministry, the campaign will last until March and it will also involve further flights as well as the Uruguayan Navy's ROU 04 General Artigas.

Uruguay's Antarctic Institute Chairman Fernando Colina said that in this campaign a great part of the effort will be directed to sustain and carry out science at the Artigas Antarctic Scientific Base (BCAA) and at the “T/N Ruperto Elichiribehety” Station (ECARE).

He added that the objective was “to continue with this process of conditioning and improvement of the facilities, in order to provide greater support to scientific research in the Antarctic Peninsula.”

Uruguay's goal is to “channel cooperation actions with other National Antarctic Programs such as Spain, Colombia, Netherlands, Ecuador, Germany, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and Chile, among others,” he also explained.

Fourteen national scientific projects will be carried out in areas such as Geosciences, Life Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, as well as environmental monitoring. Three projects will be conducted at the ECARE Station, the Uruguayan authorities also pointed out.