A high level team from Argentina is arriving soon in India and will visit state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to look at the helicopters which are being manufactured in Bengaluru. The team will be looking at Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand and the HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH).
Diplomatic sources have confirmed to Financial Express Online on the sidelines of the ongoing DefExpo 2022 “There is a big delegation from the South American nation Argentina is coming – could be later next week. They have expressed their interests in helicopters which have been indigenously designed and developed and manufactured by HAL.” Adding, “The team that is coming will also have test pilots.”
Financial Express Online has reported recently that in the recent visit to Argentina, HAL executives also met with the President of the Fábrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA), the Argentine counterpart. HAL may explore a deal where certain parts are manufactured locally in Argentina. Either way, HAL’s helicopter lineup is what interests the incoming high-level team.
In the Argentine Air Force search for a fighter combat aircraft, HAL’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is the front-runner in the race.
An Uphill Task for the Argentine Air Force
While the more significant part of the South American country is lowland, its entire western border is mountainous. Almost 30 per cent of the country lies in the region of the Andes mountain range. The Andes form the most extended continental mountain range in the world and are the highest outside Asia. Another country region is Patagonia, which rises from a narrow coastal plain westwards into a series of plateaus. Patagonia rises to 5,000 ft.
The eighth largest country in the world, like India, has a diverse geographical landscape, from the coastal expanse and the Pampas plains to the Patagonian plateaus and the Andean mountains. The size and geographical diversity of the country make its aerial defence a challenge. While low-lying regions are easily secured with a variety of combat helicopters and aircraft, mountainous aircraft are particular purpose, low armour, and lighter with lesser weapon payload capacity.
Background on Argentine Air Power
Argentine air power has been insufficient relative to its requirements. It has only 30 helicopters for various roles. The light utility role had the Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama. In 2022, reports showed that the American Bell 407 helicopter had been selected as its successor. India flies around 160 Lamas and will serve as a spare supplier until the transition is completed. However, the Bell 407 is a medium utility helicopter.
At the end of the first decade of 2010, negotiations began with Russia to purchase two new MiL Mi-171E (with an option to acquire three more) to recover the heavy capacity from the loss of the two CH-47 Chinooks. Due to a lack of budget, in 2011, only two Mi-171E could be incorporated, which were widely used in various corners of the country, fulfilling a wide range of missions. Both are out of service and in different stages of preparation to complete their inspection of more than 2,000 hours, for which they already have the corresponding allocation of funds. In 2015, two Bell 412EPs were received (one new from the factory and one second-hand), followed in 2018 by another four units explicitly manufactured for the Argentine Air Force, completing an initial supply of six multipurpose twin-turbine helicopters.
The Air Force would require at least another six units – ideally twelve – to replace its ageing Bell 212s, whose proper life cycle is nearing its end. If it had a dozen Bell 412EPs, the FAA could deploy at least one in each Air Brigade and maintain the one already in the Military Aviation School for Search and Rescue tasks for the crews of the Air Group School (GAE), which depends on the Military Aviation School (EAM).
After decades of disinvestment due to the lack of strategic vision of the Argentine political leadership, which led to a severe loss of operational capabilities due to the impossibility of renewing and modernising its means, fewer annual flight hours due to scarce operating resources (fuel, rotatable, etc.) and maintenance (engine and airframe overhaul, etc.), in recent years the Argentine Air Force has managed to begin to reverse this negative trend.
Also Read: Argentina looking towards India to build military might
Argentine Sovereignty through Indian Self-Reliance
For Argentina, India is a natural defence partner. Not only do the two nations share the challenges posed by diverse geography, but they also have independently faced the brunt of international sanctions. While India has recovered from the sanctions and embarked on an Atmanirbharta campaign, Argentina still relies entirely on imports.
The Dhruv is a utility helicopter and as of 2022, 335 helicopters have logged over 3, 40,000 flying hours. Ecuador was the first country in the region to buy this helicopter from HAL, however after facing gross fatality, the machines were retired from Air Force Service of that country.
The engine powering this helicopter has been made under a joint venture between HAL and French manufacturer Safran. `Shakti’ the engine is based on Ardiden of Safran.
Compared to the Argentine light utility helicopter, McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD 500 Defender, Dhruv has almost five times the service ceiling at 6,100 m. In all aspects, Dhruv outperforms the ageing light utility helicopter in Argentina’s employ.
The latest LCH Prachand is a mountain-focused attack helicopter and is designed to be operational at heights that Apache or Mi 24 cannot reach. By sacrificing armour and weapon load, this helicopter is ideal for the highest mountains in the world. The vast Andes of Argentina are the natural playing field for the HAL Prachand. The multi-role attack helicopter can perform air defence against manned and unmanned aerial vehicles and participate in counter-insurgency and counter-surface force operations.
Compared to the Bell 407, the next recent Argentine purchase, Prachand offers a higher service ceiling, rate of climb, range, cruising speed and almost double the payload.
The Indian leap in indigenous defence aviation can be instrumental for Argentina in reclaiming its aerial might. HAL’s strength has been its robust product lineup, compared to the Argentine defence industry which has been volatile; however, it might change hereinafter.