Argentine defence minister Agustin Rossi has announced that negotiations for new fighter jets are under way, but will be left to the next government to purchase. Rossi’s decision comes only a day after the Argentine government announced the purchase of Israeli manufactured Kfir fighters.
After almost two years of negotiations and endless speculations surrounding the question of what fighter jet Argentina would go for, Argentine media report that a decision has been made to purchase the IAI Kfir jets to replace the Air Force’s Mirages. According to the report, in Interdefensa Militar Argentina, the decision is currently awaiting final approval from the Cabinet.
The room in Comodoro Rivadavia from where the Argentine Air Force command operated its attacks on the Falkland Islands during the 1982 conflict has been renamed 'Malvinas Hall', and has been declared part of the city's heritage, a place where students and visitors can recall “the ever present Argentine claim over the Malvinas Islands, and the heroism of its pilots”.
Last week the Argentine Air Force formally bid farewell to the remaining French built Mirage jet fighters, which saw combat during the Falkland Islands conflict in 1982, since in three months time they will be decommissioned after four decades service. The occasion was the 103 anniversary of the Air Force (10th August but celebrated on the 13th).
Difficult times for the Argentine Air Force, not only was the Minister of Defense Agustín Rossi caught asleep during the celebration of the service's anniversary, but also as of next Tuesday administrative staff at the headquarters Edificio Condor will be working a shorter shift, from 08:00 in the morning to 13:00 hours with the purpose of savings in power and other supplies as well as rationing catering.
Brazilian media has confirmed that Argentina is probing to join with Brazil in the procurement of 24 Saab Gripen NG fighters, following the recently signed bilateral cooperation agreement under the heading of “Aeronautic industry strategic alliance” (AEIA), which was discussed this month by the two countries defense ministers.
Argentine investigative reporter Jorge Lanata, loathed by the current government of president Cristina Fernandez for his disclosure of the close business links of certain unscrupulous entrepreneurs (or most probably straw-men) who have become millionaires during the Kirchner years, has now exposed the 'calamitous' state of the Argentine armed forces equipment.
Argentina successfully launched a research rocket as part of its space program, the Defense Ministry said on Friday. The launch took place on Wednesday from Chamical, in La Rioja province, 880 km northwest of the capital.
Neatly kept and organized documents dating to the start of Argentina’s last dictatorship, 1976/1983, shows the names of activists who went missing and citizens blacklisted under the regime, officials announced in Buenos Aires. The documents also show that the military junta had planned to hold onto power until 2000.
Argentina admitted that it stepped down at last minute from participating in South America's largest military air exercise in Brazil, Cruzex 2013 to avoid any possible injunction situations as that experienced by the Navy's three mast frigate that ended retained in a port of Ghana.