The Argentine government has finalised negotiations to buy four surplus P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, meeting a requirement set in 2015 by the country’s Navy.
The agreement was reached in August in Buenos Aires during a meeting between Defence Minister Jorge Taiana and representatives of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency.
Three of the P-3C aircraft are fitted for maritime surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-surface missions, and one P-3N is designed for search and rescue operations, according to a news release from the Argentine Defence Ministry. The deal is worth USD67 million.
Argentina originally intended to acquire surplus P-3Cs from the U.S. Navy. However, the American aircraft would have required refurbishment that exceeded the Argentine government’s funding, according to local military sources.
