Prior to the start of Exercise Gringo-Gaucho II, the focus was on the preparations made by the Argentine Navy’s Sea Fleet, which is gearing up to operate alongside the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the coming days. Positioned along the coast of Mar del Plata, a team from Zona Militar was able to observe part of the operational activities involving destroyers, corvettes, and oceanic patrol vessels, along with helicopters from the Naval Aviation Command.
As reported yesterday, various units of the Argentine Navy set sail from their respective bases to participate in the combined exercise PASSEX with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, which is currently transiting Argentine waters as part of its Southern Seas 2024 deployment. Among the Argentine vessels are the MEKO 360 destroyers ARA “La Argentina” and ARA “Sarandi,” the MEKO 140 corvettes ARA “Espora,” and the oceanic patrol vessels ARA “Rosales,” ARA “Almirante Cordero,” ARA “Piedrabuena,” and ARA “Storni.”
According to the navy’s report, today’s activities included “…navigation in restricted waters. This allowed for maneuvers alongside the aeronaval component of the Argentine Naval Aviation Command participating in the exercise, consisting of a Fennec helicopter from the First Naval Helicopter Squadron (EAH1) and Sea King from the Second Naval Helicopter Squadron (EAH2).”
Regarding the latter, thanks to a video circulated on social media, the participation of the Sea King with registration 2-H-241 from the Naval Aviation Command was appreciated, which transported a detachment of Tactical Divers Group who descended via rappel onto the oceanic patrol vessel ARA “Almirante Cordero.”
The operation of aircraft with Sea Fleet units was complemented by “…helicopter landing and takeoff. In particular, with units from EAH2, refueling training (RECOVU) was conducted.”
Additionally, in terms of individual preparation for each of the units involved in the exercise, “…roles such as abandonment, firefighting, damage control, and search and rescue at sea were covered, in addition to English communications and distance-guided passage. A tactical encounter between the vessels belonging to the Sea Fleet and the Maritime Patrol Division based at the Mar del Plata Naval Base was also carried out.”
*Photographs: Zona Militar.
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