A few days ago, the Argentine Air Force published the specific terms and conditions for the public tender aimed at constructing a Training Center at the VI Air Brigade, located in the city of Tandil, Buenos Aires. These works are part of the preparation and construction of the necessary infrastructure for the Air Force to operate the F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon fighter jets, which will be incorporated in the coming years.
According to the information from the mentioned documentation, the works for the new Training Center at the VI Air Brigade have an official budget of $3,365,045,945. The construction period is 420 calendar days, starting once the contract is awarded and the initial contractual steps are formalized. The contractor will be responsible for the work’s warranty for one year from the date of Provisional Acceptance.
The new Training Center will include “…a Central Space for Aircraft Instruction, 2 Classrooms for Theoretical Instruction, 2 Classrooms for Language Instruction, Library, Offices, Restrooms, and Storage…”. Once completed, the building will add a total of 2070 m² to the Brigade’s infrastructure.
The Training Center’s layout will feature a Central Space for Practical Instruction and services on a single floor, and a Space for Theoretical and Language Instruction with complementary areas on two floors. The ground floor area will be 1740 m², while the upper floor will have 330 m².
The technical specifications detail that the construction will consist of three distinct sectors based on their uses and architectural characteristics:
Sector A: Theoretical Instruction Sector. Developed on two floors, it will have 4 classrooms, a library and offices, a bar/office, male and female restrooms, an entrance hall, and a staircase.
Sector B: Practical Instruction Sector.
Sector C: Services Sector for Practical Instruction. Located within Sector B, this space will provide the ancillary services of the center, including restrooms, a locker room, storage, and a machine room.
The construction of this Training Center, along with the refurbishment of other sectors of the VI Air Brigade and other units, is one of the milestones the Argentine Air Force must achieve to operate the F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon fighters. Although these aircraft have been in service for a couple of decades, they are equipped with highly advanced systems and subsystems, making it essential for the Air Force to invest in meeting these and other requirements.
The incorporation of the F-16s is highly anticipated not only for the capabilities the weapon system will bring to the Air Force but also for the drastic changes the institution will need to make in its organizational culture. The arrival of the Danish fighters is seen as an opportunity for the Air Force to make a necessary leap into a new era, which must be supported with the appropriate human, material, and budgetary resources to maximize its potential.
Cover image: Forsvaret
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