http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 23NEWS Latin America
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stories. Email the news team at [email protected]Argentina
selects
FA-50?
THE FUERZA Aérea
Argentina (FAA, Argentine
Air Force) has reportedly
chosen the Korea
Aerospace Industries (KAI)
FA-50 as its interim fighter.
An unidentified defence
source told Argentine
media that the two-seat
Fighting Eagle was chosen
after an evaluation in
Korea in September 2016.
The same source said
they expected Buenos
Aires to sign off on the
planned procurement
“in the near future”.
Argentine national media
has reported that the initial
deal covers ten aircraft.
Meanwhile, Leonardo
officials have said they
remain confident that
their rival M-346FA will
win through in Argentina.
The Italian company is
also offering technology
transfer and local
industrial participation.Guyana gets Skyvans
A PAIR of second-hand
Short SC.7 Skyvan 3 Variant
100s has been delivered to
the Guyana Defence Force
(GDF) Air Corps after being
acquired from an operator
in the UK. GDF serials
8R-GBW and 8R-GWJ
arrived at Air Station London
(Cheddi Jagan International
Airport), Georgetown-
Timehri, on June 27.
The Skyvans were
previously registered in the
UK as G-BEOL (c/n SH.1954,ex JA8803/Japan Maritime
Safety Agency, VH-IBO
and ZS-OIO) and G-PIGY
(c/n SH.1943, ex 5T-MAM/
Mauritanian Air Force,
LX-JUL), but were cancelled
from the UK register on June- They had previously
been operated by Liberty
Aviation of Whitstable,
Kent, which leased them
out, primarily for skydiving.
The Guyana Department
of Public Information said
they had been delivered
via the US from Poland.
The GDF previously
operated five other Skyvans,
acquired from 1979-81, but
none are thought to remain
operational. One was written
off, one scrapped, another
sold off to a commercial
buyer and one is stored at
Air Station London. The fifth
aircraft, 8R-GGK, sustained
extensive structural damage
after a nosewheel collapse
and is not believed to have
been repaired. Dave AllportGuatemala
is fi rst export
customer for
Pampa III
THE ARGENTINE defence
ministry announced on
July 2 that Guatemala
will buy two IA-63 Pampa
III advanced trainers,
becoming the first export
customer for this latest
version. The deal is worth
US$28m and will involve
two aircraft produced
by Fábrica Argentina
de Aviones (FAdeA) at
its Brigadier San Martín
facility. The contract will
also cover training and
maintenance services.
The sale is part of a wider
agreement signed in the
presence of the presidents
and defence ministers
of both countries.
The Fuerza Aérea
Guatemalteca (FAG) will
use the jets for training
and border control and
they are expected to
be delivered before
the end of the year.Above: Newly acquired Guyana Defence Force Air Corps Skyvan 3M-100 8R-GBW at Air
Station London, Timehri, following its delivery. Guyana Department of Public InformationAbove: The former US Department of State Air Wing UH-1Hs at the handover ceremony at
Teniente Octavio Rodríguez Garrido air base. SENANPanama receives six UH-1Hs
SIX BELL UH-1H(S) Iroquois
(UH-1H Huey II) helicopters
have been delivered
to Panama by the US
government as part of the
Merida Initiative – a security
co-operation agreement
to combat drug-trafficking,
transnational organised
crime and money laundering
in Central America. Formal
transfer of the six Huey IIs
took place on June 28 at the
Servicio Nacionale Aeronaval’s
(SENAN’s, National Naval Air
Service’s) Teniente Octavio
Rodríguez Garrido air base
in Panama Pacifico.
The helicopters, which had
previously been operatingin the country as part of
the US Department of
State Air Wing, comprised
70-16276/N276WR (c/n
12581), 72-21636/N636WW
(c/n 13335), 72-21637/
N637WN (c/n 13336),
73-21668/N668WC (c/n
13356), 73-21786/N786AW
(c/n 13474) and 72-22448/
N448WC (c/n 13772).
They will be used to carry
out operations for SENAN
and the Servicio Nacional
de Fronteras (SENAFRONT,
National Border Service),
including security missions,
search and rescue, medical
evacuation and humanitarian
aid. The helicopters weresupplied through the
aviation programme of the
US Bureau of International
Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs (INL)
and the US government
will continue to provide
maintenance and training on
the type for SENAN pilots
until 2023 under a project
valued at US$30m. Since
2014, the INL helicopters
had conducted 6,800
flight hours in support of
Panama’s security agencies,
strengthening their presence
in remote areas, a role which
SENAN can now undertake
itself with the same
helicopters. Dave AllportVenezuelan Su-30
“aggressively shadows”
US Navy EP-3
Above: The image of the Venezuelan Su-30MKV as it
“aggressively shadowed” a US Navy EP-3 over the Caribbean
Sea. The 23 Venezuelan ‘Flankers’ are operated by the
Aviación Militar Bolivariana’s Grupo Aéreo de Caza (GAC) 11
at El Sombrero and GAC 13 at Barcelona. SOUTHCOM
US SOUTHERN Command
(SOUTHCOM) reported that
a Venezuelan Su-30MKV
fighter made an unsafe
approach to a US Navy
EP-3 Aries II intelligence-
gathering aircraft operating
in international airspace over
the Caribbean Sea. During
the incident, on July 19, the
Flanker approached the
EP-3 in “an unprofessional
manner” before the US
reconnaissance aircraft was
“aggressively shadowed”
at an “unsafe distance”
for a prolonged period
of time. After reviewing
video documentation,SOUTHCOM determined
the Su-30 had endangered
the safety of the US Navy
crew and jeopardised the
EP-3 mission. According to
a SOUTHCOM statement,
the Aries II was adhering to
international standards and
rules as part of a routine
“detection and monitoring
mission” in the region.
In response, Venezuela’s
defence minister Vladimir
Padrino López said the
EP-3 was intercepted within
the country’s exclusive
economic zone and had
been one of “dozens”
of similar incursions.21-23 News AFM Sep2019.indd 23 8/5/2019 12:23:29 PM