Argentina increases defence and security spending for remainder of 2021

A first H225 helicopter was delivered to the Argentine Coast Guard in 2015. (Airbus Helicopters)

On 26 November the Argentine government issued ‘Decree 809/2021' that provided additional funding for the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Ministry of Security, adding about USD220 million for defence.

The Ministry of Security received an allocation of approximately USD17 million dollars for “offshore heavy helicopters”, which a coast guard source told Janes is for two H225s that are being negotiated with Airbus Helicopter. The deal includes modernising an extra Dauphin helicopter for the Argentine Coast Guard, and overhauling Ecureuil helicopters for that force and the Gendarmerie, and H145s for the Federal Police.

MoD funds are allocated to reopening ‘Petrel Base' in Antarctica, which is expected to become one of the main Argentine bases on that continent.

The extra budget for the armed forces includes a first payment of USD2 million for the recently purchased RBS-70NG missiles (for a total of about USD45 million), according to annexes in the decree.

It also includes a first payment for the navy's construction at Tandanor shipyard of 12 tug boats destined for the Buenos Aires station and the Mar del Plata, Puerto Belgrano, and Ushuaia Naval Bases (Tanador will also repair another three tug boats).

The new funding will also go towards converting the corvette ARA Parker into an offshore patrol vessel, modernising more Agusta Bell AB-206 helicopters for the army, and recovering three Army Heavy Transport Barges used on the Paraná River, the decree said.