The Argentine Navy will advance with the incorporation of new drones and maritime patrol aircraft with the aim of strengthening surveillance of the Argentine Sea, the exclusive economic zone, and other areas considered strategic, including the Falkland Islands and Antarctica.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Navy, Admiral Juan Carlos Romay, confirmed that the force expects to receive by the end of this year or the beginning of the next vertical takeoff unmanned vehicles from the United States, capable of operating from the flight decks of Argentine ships.
Beechcraft B-360ER MPA Aircraft
As Romay explained during an interview with Infobae en Vivo, the incorporation is framed within a letter of intent signed as part of cooperation with the United States and aims to increase Argentina's capabilities to exercise surveillance over its jurisdictional waters.
The admiral also clarified that the equipment will be operated exclusively by personnel of the Argentine Navy and that the information obtained through these systems will remain under the use of the institution itself.
New aircraft to patrol the South Atlantic
The drones will be joined by the future incorporation of Beechcraft 360 aircraft intended for maritime patrol, which will expand the capabilities currently covered by Beechcraft 200 aircraft.
The goal is to improve the monitoring of maritime activity and extend the range of operations over the Argentine exclusive economic zone, the South Atlantic, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Navy, Admiral Juan Carlos Romay
Romay highlighted that currently the Navy's Operations Center maintains constant monitoring of maritime traffic. This task is complemented by ocean patrol vessels and the existing coordination with the Argentine Naval Prefecture.
The naval chief acknowledged that units such as the Almirante Brown-class destroyers and Espora-class corvettes have accumulated more than four decades of service, while various navies around the world tend to renew their main assets within periods of 30 to 40 years.
The main delay, he explained, is particularly in surveillance, control, and eventually weapon systems, a technological gap that has widened compared to the capabilities available in other naval forces. Therefore, the Navy presented to the Executive Power different analyses and proposals aimed at recovering those capabilities.
In parallel, the force maintains its operations in the South Atlantic. Romay assured that the icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar is being prepared to develop the next Antarctic campaign, maintaining Argentine presence and supply and scientific support tasks on the continent.
