The Argentine government is negotiating the acquisition of four Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy helicopters, through the Foreing Military Sales program offered by the United States, revealed Infodefensa.
According to the outlet, which had access to documents from the General Staff of the Argentine Armed Forces, two CH-47 helicopters will be destined for the Argentine Army and another two for the Air Force.
The negotiation also includes the training of pilots and mechanics, as well as logistical support for five years to support the aircraft’s operations.
It is not yet known whether the helicopters sought by Argentina are new or second-hand aircraft stored by the US military. However, the roles for such aircraft have already been determined by the Argentines: both the army and the air force want the Chinooks to reinforce their civil protection, transport and firefighting operations.
The Argentine Army and Air Force are, to date, the only Latin American armed forces that have been operators of the famous American helicopter with two tandem lift rotors.
The CH-47s served in Argentina from the 1980s to the early 2000s, serving in a variety of activities and performing unprecedented feats such as crossing the Drake Strait to Antarctica with helicopters.
The aircraft also participated in the Argentine campaign in the Falkland War, in the conflict against the United Kingdom, in 1982. Two of them were lost in combat and one after an accident.
