The Argentine Army has canceled a bidding process launched in December for the acquisition of three second-hand Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
The bidding process was scheduled for January 13, but ended earlier this week. According to the service, budgetary changes led to the cancellation.
The Army Aviation Directorate intended to use the Black Hawks in various tasks, including air assault, troop transport, medium evacuation, SAR and firefighting, among others.
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Despite the cancellation, the understanding is that the bidding process will be redone and launched again in the future.
The Argentine Army currently has a very outdated fleet and helicopters, the Bell UH-1H model of which remains the main aircraft, with 50 units in service.
The Ministry of Defense ordered six Bell 407GXi helicopters for SAR missions, two of which were delivered to the Army in December, with one aircraft still missing. The rest will be operated by the Air Force.
The Black Hawk was the replacement for the UH-1H Huey and is currently in operation in some Latin American countries, such as Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Mexico.
Without adequate funding for several years, the Argentine armed forces have sought to carry out specific upgrades, such as the acquisition of F-16 fighters from Denmark or the P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, transferred by Norway.
