The Argentine Navy icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar stopped in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean this week, en route to this summer's Antarctic campaign, at the site where the doomed submarine ARA San Juan was found off Comodoro Rivadavia in 2018, paying tribute to the crew and demanding justice from the ongoing investigation into the unit's 2017 sinking.
Argentine icebreaker ARA Almirante Irizar is back in Ushuaia following its round of visits to Antarctica stations leaving all ready for the personnel that remained preparing for the long dark winter months. This has also meant the official end of the Argentine Antarctic Campaign 2022/23, which takes place under the operational command of the Joint Antarctic Command.
The Argentine Navy rescued from the oceanographic fishing research vessel (BIPO) Victor Angelescu, 90 miles off South Georgia Islands, a 55-year-old man who suffered a crushing trauma to his right leg, reported Clarin. The operation involved the icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar.
The Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA) warned that the iceberg that calved off the Brunt Ice Shelf into the Wedell Sea is such a large structure that any vessel coming its way would have to take evasive action. Hence, it is being monitored to make sure it does not affect the icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar's route from Ushuaia to the Argentine bases in the region.
Argentine icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar has been reported to have completed a successful call at the Orcadas base, after which supplies were delivered to the Petrel base, as part of the 119th Antarctic Summer Campaign.
Argentine Navy's icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar was ordered Thursday to set sail with over 300 people onboard among military and scientific personnel, marking the official beginning of the 2022/23 Summer Antarctic campaign. The Irízar's mission will consist of three stages until April 2023.
Argentina will create Antarctic Multidisciplinary Laboratories to further promote research in the country's bases in the white continent, in the framework of the program Building Science. The program is sponsored by the ministries of Foreign Affairs; Science, Technology and Innovation, and Defense, and has specific funds earmarked.
All of Argentina's bases in Antarctica are now equipped with telecommunications systems depending on nationally-owned ARSAT satellites instead of relying on foreign providers, it was announced.
The Argentine government has approved the funds for the design and construction of a new polar vessel to complement the activities of ice breaker ARA Almirante Irizar in her task of delivering provisions to the Argentine thirteen Antarctic bases. Works and design will be undertaken by the government-owned shipyard Tandanor and Finland's consulting firm Aker Arctic, with the funds allotted totaling 69 million Argentine pesos ( some US$ 6,5 million) and 7 million Euros.
The Government of Argentina Wednesday approved the allocation of funds to the Tandanor state shipyard to advance in cooperation with Finnish consultants Aker Arctic in the design and construction of a new polar ship to join the icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar in delivering supplies to the thirteen bases in Antarctica.