Argentine defense minister Julio Martinez criticized the previous government policies towards the Armed Forces saying that during the Falklands/Malvinas conflict the country lost 72 aircraft, but under the administrations of Nestor and Cristina Kirchner over a hundred went out of service or were decommissioned.
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.
Hundreds of Malvinas veterans were applauded and acclaimed as they marched through Buenos Aires on Friday May 27th as part of the May Revolution 207 anniversary commemorations. Veterans closed the traditional military parade along two kilometers, which this year assembled 6.000 troops from all branches plus an air pass of aircraft and helicopters.
Argentine reportedly has agreed to purchase several refurbishedDassault-Breguet Super Étendard fighter bombers originally from the French navy. Apparently the Mirages are similar to those Argentine used during the Falklands conflict in 1982 and will be incorporated to the Air Force, as part of an Argentine re-equipment of its military forces.
Argentina paid homage on Tuesday to the 323 crew and officers who lost their lives when the Navy's cruiser General Belgrano was sunk on 2 May 1982, by a British submersible in the midst of the Falklands conflict 35 years ago.
Argentina has few funds available to replace an outdated military fleet beyond buying 12 Beechraft Texan aircraft to train pilots, Defense Minister Julio Martinez admitted. He said actual plans were more modest than those reported by media in Argentina and Brazil in recent months, which said the government was interested in buying war planes from abroad, including from Brazil's Embraer or Mig fighters from Russia.
Argentine foreign and defense ministers Susana Malcorra and Julio Martínez toured on Friday the recently repaired and refurbished Navy's icebreaker and Antarctica flagship, Almirante Irizar which a decade ago almost became a wreck after she caught fire on return from the annual Antarctic mission.
President Mauricio Macri has approved the purchase of airplanes for the Air Force, patrol vessels for the Navy and armored vehicles and combat rifles for the Army, it was announced Monday to give the Armed Forces back some of their lost firepower, Defense Minister Julio Martínez revealed. The total purchases will surpass 40 billion pesos (2,500 million US dollars), the minister added.
The dismal state of the Argentine armed forces was revealed by Defense minister Julio Martínez who claimed that the ten/twelve Kirchner years downed more Air Force aircraft than those lost during the South Atlantic conflict in 1982.
Argentina's defense minister Julio Martinez is travelling to Russia and Italy with the purpose of strengthening bilateral cooperation in defense issues, including the possible supply of hardware for the equipment depleted Argentine armed forces. Last July the Russian Federation chief of Land Forces, General Oleg Salijukov visited Buenos Aires.