Within the framework of the inauguration and commissioning of the new Petrel Antarctic Base, a Saab 340 aircraft of the Argentine Air Force (FAA) landed yesterday, June 1, marking a new milestone for the presence of the Republic Argentina in Antarctica.
One of the great projects of the Ministry of Defense, during successive administrations, and of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, was the recovery and reconstruction of the Petrel Antarctic Base, which had suffered a fire in the winter of 1974, causing its evacuation. becoming a Temporary Base in 1978.
In this way, as of Decree 809/2021, the funds were approved with which to promote the plans to reopen the Petrel Base, recovering its status as a Permanent Base. The recovery work at the Petrel Base includes various tasks of renovation and enhancement of the infrastructure with the aim of leaving it in habitable conditions. These are comprised of several phases, carried out by personnel of the Argentine Armed Forces, coordinated and grouped through the Antarctic Joint Command (COCOANTAR).
However, one of the milestones of the recovery is the preparation of the Antarctic Air Base landing strip for operations of various types. With this background, yesterday a Saab 340 aircraft of the Argentine Air Force landed successfully for the first time, which allows the connectivity of the Base to be enhanced as a new Logistics Center and to strengthen the presence of the Argentine Republic. on the White Continent.
During a recent interview with the Joint Antarctic Commander, Brigadier General Edgar Calandin, he expressed to Zona Militar the importance of adding a new means of operating in Antarctica, stating that: “With the Saab, the people of the Argentine Air Force are doing a study, which they are finishing, to make it one of our aircraft that is more economical, more Chinese and has greater flexibility to carry out medical evacuation for when we have a setback from a health point of view (…) and, by operating in Marambio, we already know that we have that means“.
You may be interested in Gallery – Reception of the Saab 340B T-35 and the TC-12B Huron TC-114 of the Argentine Air Force
