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ARA Guerrico

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ARA Guerrico in 2005 at Mar del Plata naval base
History
South Africa
OrderedFebruary 1976[1]
BuilderLorient, France
Laid down1 October 1976
Launched13 September 1977
ChristenedSAS Transvaal
Out of service17 November 1977
FateDelivery blocked by UNSCR 418 during sea trials in France
Argentina
RenamedARA Guerrico
NamesakeRear Admiral Martín Guerrico
Ordered1978
Commissioned1978
In service9 November 1978
Out of service2024
HomeportMar del Plata
StatusTo be auctioned off as of 2024[2][3]
General characteristics
Class and typeType A69 Drummond-class corvette
Displacement1,170 tons (1,320 tons full load)[4]
Length80 m (260 ft)[4]
Beam10.3 m (34 ft)[4]
Draught3.55 m (11.6 ft)[4]
Installed power12,000 shp (8.9 MW)[4]
Propulsion2 × SEMT Pielstick 12 PC 2.2 V400 diesels, 2 × controllable pitch propellers[4]
Speed23.3 knots (43 km/h)[4]
Range4,500 nautical miles (8,330 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)[4]
Endurance15 days[4]
Complement5 officers, 79 enlisted, 95 berths[4]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Thales DRBV 51A air/surface search
  • Thales DRBC-32E fire control
  • Consilium Selesmar NavBat
  • Thales Diodon hull MF sonar[4]
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Thales DR 2000 S3
  • Thales Alligator 51 jammer
  • 2 × 18 Corvus decoys
Armament
Aviation facilitiessmall pad for VERTREP

ARA Guerrico (P-32) was a Drummond-class corvette of the Argentine Navy. She was the first vessel to be named after Rear Admiral Martín Guerrico who fought in the 19th century Paraguayan War.

She was based at Mar del Plata and conducts fishery patrol duties in the Argentine exclusive economic zone where she has captured several trawlers.[5][6] According to reports in November 2012 the Drummond class "hardly sail[ed] because of lack of resources for operational expenses".[7] As of 2020, she was reported in reserve[2] and she was finally retired from service in 2024.[8]

Service history

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Guerrico was built in 1977 in France for the South African Navy to be named SAS Transvaal but was embargoed at the last minute by United Nations Security Council Resolution 418. She was sold to Argentina instead and delivered on 9 November 1978. She was rushed into service and deployed a month later for the Operation Soberanía against Chile.

In 1982 she served in the Falklands War most notably in the Invasion of South Georgia where she was damaged by Royal Marines weapon fire which led to her spending three days in dry dock for repairs[9] before rejoining the fleet as part of Task Group 79.4, alongside her sister ships operating to the north of the islands.[10] She carried the P-2 pennant number until the introduction of the Espora-class corvettes in 1985 when she became P-32.

In 1994, Guerrico and her sisters participated in Operation Uphold Democracy, the United Nations blockade of Haiti. During this time, she was based at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico.[11]

She also served as support ship of the Buenos Aires-Rio de Janeiro tall ships races.

As of 2023, discussions were underway to donate the corvette to the city of Santa Fe as a museum ship.[12] In 2024, it was reported that she would be auctioned off.[13]

References

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Portions based on a translation from Spanish Wikipedia.

  1. ^ "Victor Moukambi dissertation.doc" (PDF). University of Stellenbosch. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ a b "Informe a diputados - Medios insuficientes para las Patrullas de Control de Mar". 3 August 2020.
  3. ^ Germán Videla Solá, Mariano (1 September 2024). "La Armada Argentina retiró del servicio a la ARA Granville, la última de sus corbetas A-69". Zona Militar (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wertheim, Eric (2007). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (15 ed.). Naval Institute Press. p. 9. ISBN 9781591149552.
  5. ^ "Depredación del Mar Argentino". Lanacion.com.ar. 15 February 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  6. ^ "La depredación del Mar Argentino". Lanacion.com.ar. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Argentine navy short on spares and resources for training and maintenance". MercoPress. 22 November 2012. Archived from the original on 28 December 2012.
  8. ^ Germán Videla Solá, Mariano (1 September 2024). "La Armada Argentina retiró del servicio a la ARA Granville, la última de sus corbetas A-69". Zona Militar (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  9. ^ John Pike. "globalsecurity.org". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  10. ^ The Royal Navy and the Falklands War, David Brown, Leo Cooper (publisher), 1987, ISBN 978-0-85052-059-0, p. 120
  11. ^ "con el propósito de asegurar el cumplimiento del embargo comercial, dispuesto por el Consejo de Seguridad, por medio de las corbetas ARA Grandville, ARA Guerrico y ARA Drummond". .tau.ac.il. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  12. ^ Andreychuk, Luciano (27 August 2023). "Qué pasó con el buque heroico de Malvinas que iba a ser donado a la ciudad de Santa Fe". El Litoral. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  13. ^ Solá, Mariano Germán Videla (4 September 2024). "La Armada Argentina subasta cuatro buques en desuso, incluidos el aviso 'Alférez Sobral' y la corbeta 'Guerrico', veteranos de Malvinas". Zona Militar (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2024.

Further reading

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  • Guia de los buques de la Armada Argentina 2005–2006. Ignacio Amendolara Bourdette, ISBN 987-43-9400-5, Editor n/a. (Spanish/English text)
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