The Uruguayan Navy is interested in taking over the ship ATF-67 Lautaro, currently owned by the Chilean Navy, which will be officially retired soon.
The ship set sail on January 2 from the port of Punta Arenas bound for Talcahuano, to complete its last signature as an official vehicle, and a farewell ceremony will be held at the close after 31 years at the service of the institution and having given the equivalent to 15 laps around the world.
As reported by the portal infodefensa.com, the AFP Lautaro is a ship built in 1979, that is, this 2022 turns 49 years old. Its original function was to transport supplies and provide logistical support to oil platforms: in 1990 it was reconverted to carry out patrol work and support the Chilean army, which bought it that year for that purpose.
The media assures that the ship would be transferred “at no cost” to Uruguay, a country that will have to take care of all maintenance or repair costs for its correct operation.
Antique buyer
Since he took office, the Minister of National Defense, Javier García, has been campaigning for military spending to multiply in order to “renew” the fleet of vehicles, despite the fact that what he is acquiring is not exactly new.
Last year, García signed the purchase of two Hercules aircraft from the Spanish Army, which had been sent to retirement by that force because they had completed 40 years of service. The Uruguayan State paid a total of 21 million euros for these; one of them could not take off when the transfer had been finalized due to technical problems, but since they are so old, they have no guarantee.
The Lockheed C-130H Hercules were paid in installments and their sale had been processed by the now foreign minister, Francisco Bustillo, when he was ambassador to Spain.
In December 2021, the Minister and President Luis Lacalle Pou announced with great fanfare that the State will spend US $ 100 million on the purchase of two ocean patrols and that, like the planes, they will be paid in installments.
The Executive will raise a “call to interested parties” to summon bidders to build said vessels that will be purchased on credit, initiating payments in this period of government and in the following years.
Although the amount is not known, García estimated that it would be about US $ 100 million, equivalent to 4,300 million pesos. Nor is it known for sure the conditions that the ships must meet in order to be offered.
