SANTIAGO, Chile — The Boeing CH-46 medium-lift helicopter, retired from service within the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, may get a brand new lease on life, this time with the Argentine Air Force.
Talking to local media after a Sept. 15 ceremony, Argentine Air Force chief Gen. Xavier Issac said he’s all in favour of buying surplus CH-46s currently stored with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group in Arizona. He added that the Argentine government has sent a letter of request to the U.S.
Issac said a delegation would visit the 309th in the subsequent few weeks to envision the condition of accessible CH-46s, and hinted that contacts were signed with Columbia Helicopters, a U.S.-based firm in a position to refurbish, upgrade and modify the helicopter type.
But a military source in Buenos Aires, talking to Defense News on the condition of anonymity to talk freely, said that “even when the potential procurement of surplus CH-46s is aimed to increased vertical lift capacities for a wide selection of uses, the primary priority could be to switch two Mil Mi-171Es, ordered in 2010 in a contract value U.S. $26.5 million, and used since 2011 in support of Antarctic operations.”
The source added that each Russian-made Mi-17 aircraft are grounded because maintenance scheduled within the country cannot take, given Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
“Sanctions applied to Russia made [it] unattainable to send the helicopters there and even to transfer the payments,” the source explained. “The likelihood to have the works made in Peru, Colombia or Mexico was explored afterward but proved fruitless, as those workshops wouldn’t have the certification to work on the engines of the Argentine Mi-171Es.”
Argentina gave up on the upkeep plans in Russia last month, based on the previous’s Defense Ministry, leaving the long run service of the helicopters doubtful and increasing pressure to amass replacements.
“The concept is to acquire a primary batch of 4 CH-46s, with follow-on orders aiming so as to add machines to realize a strength of at the very least eight helicopters,” the source said. “Not only surplus machines in store are being sought, but additionally those currently operated by civilian firms which may be available.”
Luis Piñeiro, an independent defense analyst based in Buenos Aires, said it’s a “good idea” to purchase refurbished CH-46s, much more so if the explanation is to switch the Mi-17s for Antarctic operations, “that are a high priority for Argentina.”
“Nevertheless it looks unlikely that the present administration led by President Alberto Fernández, which is in its very last months in office, will manage to finalize it. [This] will probably be within the hands of the subsequent government, to be elected on Oct. 22.”
José Higuera is a Latin America correspondent for Defense News.