The helicopter carrier Tonnerre and the frigate Guépratte of the French National Navy concluded their visit to the city of Buenos Aires and ventured into the Argentine Sea to conduct a series of exercises with the Argentine Navy. These exercises are part of the itinerary of the French ships from the Jeanne d’Arc 2024 Mission, destined for Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Province, where they will make a final stop before crossing to the Pacific.
The coordination of combined activities between the Argentine Navy and the French National Navy was previously announced by the Commander of the Tonnerre and Head of the Jeanne d’Arc Mission, Captain Adrien Schaar, in order to further deepen the relations between both naval forces. This is one of the pillars of the mission, with significant combined activities already carried out with the Brazilian Navy prior to their arrival in Buenos Aires.
The activities conducted in the Argentine Sea included exercises known as PASSEX, with their execution reported yesterday, May 3rd, by the Argentine Navy. The objective of these exercises was to “improve interoperability,” involving the participation of the aforementioned French ships, along with the destroyer ARA “La Argentina” (DELA), the icebreaker ARA “Almirante Irízar” (RHAI), and a Beechcraft B-200 aircraft from the Naval Maritime Surveillance Squadron, operating from the Punta Indio Naval Air Base.
Regarding the MEKO 360 destroyer, it has recently completed various navigation tests to evaluate its propulsion systems, following scheduled maintenance and repair works conducted during the last days of April. Meanwhile, the icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar is currently returning to Buenos Aires after successfully completing its support activities for the 2023/2024 Summer Antarctic Campaign.
Finally, the Argentine Navy highlighted that “…on board the Tonnerre, a total of 20 officers and non-commissioned officers belonging to the Fleet of Sea and Marine Corps are embarked, who will be trained in specific techniques for such vessels and will disembark in the city of Ushuaia.”
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