Puerto Belgrano – During yesterday morning, with the Music Band of the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base (BNPB) providing a warm reception, the units belonging to the Sea Fleet that participated in the combined exercise Passex Gringo-Gaucho II arrived, after the operations carried out successfully together with the United States Navy.
The ARA destroyers “Sarandí” and “La Argentina”, where the Commander of the Sea Fleet, Rear Admiral Gustavo Fabián Lioi Pombo, was embarked, along with the ARA corvettes “Espora” and “Rosales”, were received at the dock by the Chief of the General Staff of the Navy Training and Enlistment Command, Captain Pablo Adrián Franchi, who was accompanied by the Chief of the BNPB, Captain Eduardo Mayol; the Commander of Special Naval Operations, Captain Eduardo Javier Mateo; the Chief of Staff of the Sea Fleet, Captain Pedro Mariano Brandolin, and the Naval, Amphibious and Logistics Commander, Captain Darío Andrés Buscarolo, among other naval authorities. In addition, applicants from the Navy Non-Commissioned Officer School and family members of the crew members participated in the arrival.
After a week of sailing, with the aim of enhancing the level of interoperability and training, the naval forces of both countries carried out an opportunity exercise at a meeting point located at mile 150.
In addition to the ships of the Sea Fleet, the oceanic patrol vessels ARA “Storni”, “Piedrabuena” and “Contraalmirante Cordero”, Fennec and Sea King helicopters, from the First and Second Aeronaval Helicopter Squadron, participated on behalf of the Argentine Navy. and Beechcraft B-200 aircraft of the Naval Air Maritime Surveillance Squadron; while for the Navy of the United States of America the aircraft carrier USS “George Washington” did it with the embarked air group made up of MH-60 helicopters and F-35, F/A-18, EA-18 and E-2C aircraft ; the destroyer USS “Porter” and the logistics ship USNS “John Lenthall”.
The units met last Thursday around 8:30, beginning the activities with tactical evolutions in various configurations, and then adopting a special device around the aircraft carrier to carry out a photoex, to which North American F aircraft joined in aerial formation. -35, F/A-18, EA-18, E-2C, along with a Navy B-200.
Then the “George Washington” began to operate individually, while the rest of the ships developed tactical evolutions and formations under aerial threat, ending with an air defense exercise. Communications training was also carried out where common procedures were verified.
During the last day, speech exercises were carried out in close proximity between the Argentine destroyers and the logistician “John Lenthall”, while the Fennec helicopter carried out effective cross deck practices (takeoff and landing) on the flight decks, both of the North American aircraft carrier and of the units of the Argentine Navy. In the afternoon, together with the destroyer “Porter”, an anti-submarine warfare exercise was carried out using an ROV.
Once the Gringo-Gaucho II operations were completed, the oceanic patrol vessels returned to their natural base at the Mar del Plata Naval Base, while the units of the Sea Fleet set sail for Puerto Belgrano. During their transit, training was carried out between both corvettes, while the destroyer “Sarandí” carried out effective shooting practices with 40mm cannons.
