INS VAGIR, Scorpène submarine for India, photo: Indian Navy

INS VAGIR, Scorpène submarine for India, photo: Indian Navy

Submarines for the Armada de Argentina

Latest news: the competition is open. Submarines for Argentina from France - or Germany?

The new president of the South American country does not hesitate for long, not even when it comes to the Armada Argentina, whose long-standing equipment gap in the area of submarines he had promised to fill. In October, Defence Minister Luis Petri was in Paris to sign a letter of intent for the purchase of submarines at ministerial level - now, at the end of November, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Casa Rosada, the official residence of President Javier Milei, and the intention to purchase three Scorpène submarines for around 2 billion euros (Naval Group) and four government vessels for around 280 million euros (Kership) was sealed at the highest level. The paperwork is left to the entourage and is expected to be finalised by the end of the year. Of course, financing the three submarines is not so easy, but there are external loans that are entirely in the interests of the French administration. The financing for the four OPVs for the Ministry of Security is already said to be in place - which is also relatively straightforward. That's what happens when you order leadership - and get it.

Latest news

Now the magazine "Spiegel" (spiegel.de) announced that, despite all the caution exercised by the Federal Republic of Germany towards Milei, Berlin intends to grant Argentina extensive export credits. This will allow the South American country to buy three German-built submarines. This will not go down well in Paris - and it won't exactly boost the Franco-German partnership either! 

According to "Spiegel", the Ministry of Finance is said to have already asked the Budget Committee to give its approval to the project, which it did on 30 January. As the FAZ reported, the Budget Committee gave the green light for state guarantees totalling a maximum of 4.1 billion euros to tkMS (thyssenkrupp Marine Systems) so that an offer can be made to the Argentinian navy for the construction of three submarines. Construction could start as early as the middle of next year and have a volume of 2.1 billion euros. This is likely to open up serious competition, as both shipbuilding industries can look back on long histories in Argentina. The main but outdated stock of the Argentinean floating navy comes from German shipyards - four MEKO 380H2 destroyers (1983), six MEKO 140A16 frigates (1984-2004, Argentinean licence construction), Type 209/1200 submarines (1974) and TR 1700 (1984). In contrast, newer ship types such as the Bouchard-class OPV and the flying component (Super Etendard), although also obsolete, were built by French state industry. 

Needless to say, all our support and good wishes go to them!

ajs

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