Argentina eyes surplus CH-46 helicopters as Mi-17 replacement

SANTIAGO, Chile — The Boeing CH-46 medium-lift helicopter, retired from service in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, may get a new lease on life, this time with the Argentine Air Force.

Talking to local media after a Sept. 15 ceremony, Argentine Air Force chief Gen. Xavier Issac said he’s interested in buying surplus CH-46s currently stored with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group in Arizona. He added that the Argentine government has sent a letter of request to the U.S.

Issac said a delegation would visit the 309th in the next few weeks to check the condition of available CH-46s, and hinted that contracts were signed with Columbia Helicopters, a U.S.-based firm able to refurbish, upgrade and modify the helicopter type.

But a military source in Buenos Aires, talking to Defense News on the condition of anonymity to speak freely, said that “even when the potential procurement of surplus CH-46s is aimed to increased vertical lift capacities for a wide range of uses, the first priority would be to replace two Mil Mi-171Es, ordered in 2010 in a contract worth U.S. $26.5 million, and used since 2011 in support of Antarctic operations.”

The source added that both Russian-made Mi-17 aircraft are grounded because maintenance scheduled in the country cannot take place, given Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine .

“Sanctions applied to Russia made [it] impossible to send the helicopters there and even to transfer the payments,” the source explained. “The possibility to have the works made in Peru, Colombia or Mexico was explored afterward but proved fruitless, as those workshops do not have the certification to work on the engines of the Argentine Mi-171Es.”

Argentina gave up on the maintenance plans in Russia last month, according to the former’s Defense Ministry, leaving the future service of the helicopters in doubt and increasing pressure to acquire replacements.

“The idea is to procure a first batch of four CH-46s, with follow-on orders aiming to add machines to achieve a strength of at least eight helicopters,” the source said. “Not only surplus machines in store are being sought, but also those currently operated by civilian firms that may be available.”

Luis Piñeiro, an independent defense analyst based in Buenos Aires, said it’s a “good idea” to buy refurbished CH-46s, even more so if the reason is to replace the Mi-17s for Antarctic operations, “which are a high priority for Argentina.”

“But it looks unlikely that the current administration led by President Alberto Fernández, which is in its very last months in office, will manage to finalize it. [This] will be in the hands of the next government, to be elected on Oct. 22.”

José Higuera is a Latin America correspondent for Defense News.

智利圣地亚哥——波音 CH-46 中型运输直升机已从美国海军和海军陆战队退役，如今可能将迎来新生，这次将服役于阿根廷空军。

9月15日仪式结束后，阿根廷空军司令哈维尔·伊萨克将军在接受当地媒体采访时表示，他有意购买目前存放在亚利桑那州第309航空航天维护与再生大队的剩余CH-46直升机。他还补充说，阿根廷政府已向美国递交了采购意向书。

艾萨克表示，一个代表团将在未来几周内访问第 309 直升机联队，检查现有 CH-46 直升机的状况，并暗示已与美国哥伦比亚直升机公司签订合同，该公司能够翻新、升级和改装该型直升机。

但布宜诺斯艾利斯的一位军方消息人士在匿名接受《防务新闻》采访时表示，“即使采购剩余的 CH-46 直升机的目的是为了提高垂直起降能力，以用于各种用途，但首要任务仍然是替换两架 2010 年订购的、价值 2650 万美元的米-171E 直升机，这两架直升机自 2011 年以来一直用于支援南极行动。”

消息人士补充说，由于俄罗斯正在与乌克兰交战，原定在俄罗斯进行的维护工作无法进行，因此这两架俄罗斯制造的米-17飞机都已停飞。

消息人士解释说：“由于对俄罗斯的制裁，直升机无法运往俄罗斯，甚至连款项都无法支付。之后也曾考虑在秘鲁、哥伦比亚或墨西哥进行维修，但最终未能成功，因为这些维修厂没有维修阿根廷米-171E直升机发动机的资质。”

据阿根廷国防部称，阿根廷上个月放弃了在俄罗斯的维护计划，这使得这些直升机的未来服役前景不明，并增加了阿根廷寻求替代机型的压力。

消息人士称：“计划先采购四架CH-46直升机，后续订单的目标是增加机队规模，最终至少达到八架。他们不仅在寻找库存的剩余飞机，也在寻找目前由民用公司运营的、可能可用的飞机。”

布宜诺斯艾利斯的独立国防分析师路易斯·皮涅罗表示，购买翻新的 CH-46 直升机是一个“好主意”，如果购买的目的是为了取代米-17 直升机执行南极行动，那就更好了，“南极行动是阿根廷的优先事项”。

“但现任总统阿尔韦托·费尔南德斯领导的政府即将卸任，恐怕难以完成这项工作。[这]将由10月22日选举产生的下一届政府来决定。”

何塞·伊格拉是《防务新闻》拉丁美洲记者。