Argentina Receives U.S. Approval For Basler Turboprop Transport Purchase
The United States’ State Department has approved the potential sale of an unspecified number of Basler BT-67 turboprop transports to Argentina, where they will be used to resupply Argentine research stations in Antarctica.
In a notification to Congress released on April 18, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale worth up to $143 million included the cost of the aircraft and their modifications, spare engines and other spare parts, logistics and support services.
According to the DSCA, the Basler transports will provide additional capacity for airdrop and airlift operations to service Antarctica during the winter season.
Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin was named the primary contractor for the potential sale. Basler’s BT-67 is a remanufacturing of a Douglas DC-3 or C-47, with the original radial piston engines replaced with Pratt and Whitney Canada’s PT6A-67R turboprops. The remanufacturing process also lengthens the fuselage and strengthens the airframe, significantly extending the BT-67’s service life.
Basler BT-67s are already in use by several other operators in Antarctica, providing logistics flights between research stations.
Also on April 18, the United States embassy in Argentina announced that Washington would be providing a $40 million Foreign Military Financing grant to Buenos Aires.
The grant is the first FMF package provided to Argentina since 2003, and will support its purchase of 24 F-16s formerly operated by the Royal Danish Air Force. The Argentine government formally signed a contract for the purchase on April 16, with deliveries of the F-16s expected to begin in 2025.
In the statement announcing the grant, the embassy’s press office said:
“Argentina’s purchase of 24 F-16s from Denmark brings Argentina into alignment with a group of 26 nations and allies who operate the platform, increasing interoperability. The F-16s will enable Argentina to both more effectively defend its homeland and cooperate with regional partners to enhance peace and stability in America.”