Central/South American Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Selected but not yet ordered but a big deal for a country as it and for replaced and i bounce on my precedent post :) 23 Kfir whose 10 C-12 very modernised with Elta EL/M-2032 radar and Derby AAM capable for BVR combat.

Colombia will buy 36 Gripen E

Bogota, Colombian Defense Minister Carlos Villegas announced this afternoon at a press conference that the country had chosen its new combat aircraft. This is the Saab JAS-39 MS21 Gripen E. The country plans to acquire 36 aircraft for an estimated $ 4.5 billion.
"In Colombia, we are indeed a peaceful country, but we will be defenseless if we do not renew our air defense. Hence the importance of this purchasing process. We must be prepared to face any threat, to defend our heritage, "said Minister Villegas after the announcement.

A great victory for the Swedish:

This contract now brings to two the number of export customers for the new version of the "Gripen" family. A success that falls after that of Brazil. It should be noted that the Swedish manufacturer had bet to be able to find other customers on the American continent thanks to its important collaboration with the Brazilian companies Embraer and Akaer who work in collaboration with Saab.
This victory is all the more important as the Gripen E has managed to compete with the Airbus DS Eurofighter T3 and the Lockheed-Martin F-16 "Viper". The European consortium was no longer truly in the running since the beginning of the year, with purchase and flying costs being considered prohibitive. The American aircraft manufacturer has been very aggressive by proposing the F-16 "Viper" Block70 / 75 with an offer of complement in the future with the F-35....

The Swedish choice:

According to the Minister of Defense of Colombia, the choice of the Gripen E was taken on several points: the Gripen E offers the best cost-effectiveness and reduced maintenance. The aircraft is compatible with the KC-390 refueling aircraft. New technologies, including AESA radar, data fusion and a wide range of equipment (nacelles, weaponry, helmet scopes) have played in favor of the Swedish aircraft.
Moreover, Saab's offer in the area of industrial compensation also seems to be paying off. The Aerospace Industria Colombiana (CIAC), will be able to participate in the manufacture of several parts and will have access to a transfer of technology. For Colombia, this future transfer is essential to the development of the national industry.
The minister insisted from the outset that on the conditions is the transfer of technology, and that the country can receive the "open" software to independently manage the incorporation of new weapons and improvements to the software.
Customers of the Gripen E:
Sweden: 60, Brazil: 36, Colombia: 36.

It should be noted that the formalization of this contract will not be made before a few months, the time to settle the details of it.

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FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Jeff Head Amazing !


Watch the Brazilian Navy sink a former Royal Navy frigate during missile exercises

The Brazilian Navy recently concluded a missile exercise in waters off Rio de Janeiro during which ships and aircraft of the navy sank the decommissioned frigate Bosísio.

Navy units took turns firing their armaments at the former Royal Navy Type 22 frigate until it sank.

A Brazilian Navy S-70B Seahawk hit the old frigate with a Kongsberg-built Penguin anti-ship missile while the BNS Rademaker, also a former Royal Navy frigate, hit the Bosísio with an Exocet missile.

The operation also achieved a first for the Brazilian Navy when the Seahawk helicopter was loaded with ordnance from a navy ship at sea for the first time.

After the Bosísio was hit with Exocet and Penguin missiles, AF-1B intercept and attack jets – which
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from the Brazilian Navy sole aircraft carrier – dropped their 230-kg bombs while two Niterói-class frigates, BNS Liberal and BNS Independência, took the opportunity to hone skills with their 4.5-inch cannons.

The BNS Bosísio was a former Royal Navy Type 23 frigate (HMS Brazen) purchased by Brazil in November 1994 and commissioned into the Brazilian Navy in August 1996.

The Brazilian Navy decommissioned the frigate in September 2015.

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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Selected but not yet ordered but a big deal for a country as it and for replaced and i bounce on my precedent post :) 23 Kfir whose 10 C-12 very modernised with Elta EL/M-2032 radar and Derby AAM capable for BVR combat.
That is a great deal for the Gripen and Saab...not to mention Columbia.

How is the Brazil deal gong?

Is the naval version off the table? Or are they still planning to buy a DCNS carrier and equip it with Gripens?

Seems like Brazil's finances may make that deal more and more unlikely.

MontmaquetedoDEACvistaderéLINDA.jpg
 

timepass

Brigadier
Despite selecting refurbished Kfirs from
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in 2015,
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is unable to ink a deal. Another opportunity for
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to market the JF-17???


IAIKfir-692x360.jpg


ARGENTINA REPORTEDLY HALTS (ON-AND-OFF) IAI KFIR BLOCK-60 TALKS


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reports that Argentina has – again – halted negotiations for 12-14 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfir Block-60 multi-role fighters. Argentina had
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in March.

It is not known why Argentina had walked away from negotiations. News reports
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to technical concerns over the aircraft and regulatory concerns regarding the transfer of American systems, such as General Electric J79 turbojet engines. Pricing was also
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an issue.

The Argentinian Air Force is currently undergoing a recapitalization program involving the acquisition of new aircraft, among them trainers and helicopters.

In April, Argentina
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for four Beechcraft T-6C Texan II trainers for $88.2 million U.S. In 2016 the U.S. had approved the sale of 24 T-6C trainers to Argentina for $300 million (with requisite logistics, training and after-sale support). Argentina could
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order another eight T-6Cs in the near-term.

However, the pursuit of a next-generation combat aircraft platform to replace the Argentinian Air Force’s Lockheed Martin A-4ARs has been a perennial challenge. Buenos Aires had
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for possible successors, even including non-traditional options from Russia and China.

Argentina had even
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the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) regarding the
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. However, Buenos Aires walked away from the platform,
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due to the risk of cost-escalation from incorporating Western avionics.

Since then, Argentina has been pursuing the IAI Kfir Block-60. The marquee feature of the Kfir Block-60 is that is that is available with the Elta EL/M-2052 active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar.

Notes & Comments:

While matters fell through the previous time, Argentina may remain as one of AVIC and PAC’s standard-bearer markets for the JF-17. Simply put, it would be a gateway to the Latin American market, which is in the process of region-wide defence modernization and acquisition efforts.

The JF-17 program has seen substantive progress since Argentina had expressed interest in the platform. With more than 70 aircraft in service with
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, PAC is at the second-half of the JF-17 Block-II’s production run. Unlike the JF-17 Block-I, the Block-II is a noticeably customized variant comprising of a mix of Chinese, Western and other electronic subsystems. The
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– for operational conversion training – has also flown.

Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) and PAC are also progressing with the
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, which will be the first major update to the Thunder platform. It will include an AESA radar and, if the
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, increased wingspan (for additional stores), reduced wing-loading and three-axis digital fly-by-wire flight control system. While the AESA radar is likely to be Chinese, the PAF could potentially look to further tune the aircraft by incorporating additional third-party subsystems. The integration of
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from Turkey’s Aselsan is an example of this effort.

It is possible that the PAF’s own JF-17 Block-III could align (at least nearer than the Block-I/II) to Argentina’s preferred (Western oriented) configuration. Granted, avionics inputs would have to come from Western vendors that are comfortable with the JF-17, such as Aselsan and Indra. This limits Argentina’s options.

A non-Chinese radar will be a challenge. The issue with a third-party radar (e.g. Leonardo Vixen 1000E) is sourcing medium-range air-to-air missiles (MRAAM) and anti-ship missiles (AShM) from non-Chinese sources. MBDA would necessitate British approval (an obstacle for Argentina), while plausible alternates – e.g. Turkey’s Bozdogan MRAAM and Atmaca AShM – are in the development stage.

If technical aspects are addressed, financing may not be insurmountable. For example, PAC can offer the Argentinian Air Force low-rate or incremental purchasing options (e.g. as was offered to Nigeria). Most of PAC’s production line will support PAF requirements, it is not export-dependent.

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Janiz

Senior Member
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Argentine Navy launches search for missing submarine ARA San Juan

The Argentine Navy has launched a search mission for diesel-electric submarine ARA San Juan after losing contact with it on Wednesday, November 15.

According to Argentine media reports, the diesel-electric submarine ARA San Juan was last seen off the coast of Puerto Madryn, Southern Argentina, where the navy had been staging an integrated exercise.

The boat reportedly suffered a power outage while en route from the Ushuaia naval base to its homeport at Mar del Plata naval base. Some reports further indicated that a fire had broken out aboard.

While the navy is yet to issue an official statement, a navy spokesman told media that the ARA San Juan last communicated its position in the morning hours of November 15.

A report on Friday morning which said the submarine had been located and under tow to Mar del Plata was refuted by a navy spokesman.

ARA San Juan is a TR-1700-class diesel-electric submarine built by Germany’s Thyssen Nordseewerke and delivered to Argentina in 1985. The submarine returned to service in 2014 after several years of repairs.
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Wow reinforcements arrive !
We have updated our post.
NASA P-3B now searching for the missing Argentine Navy submarine & U.S.
Navy deep sea rescue crews being spun up out of San Diego.
Deployment of P-8s next I would imagine.
Chile & UK offered help, Chilean aircraft headed to area:


Frantic Search Underway For Missing Argentine Submarine (Updated)

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