Extends Surveillance and Control in South Atlantic Airspace
Earlier this month, Argentina’s Minister of Defence, Jorge Taiana, announced the future installation of an RPA-170M surveillance and air control radar in Rio Grande, intended to enhance surveillance and control functions in the airspace of the South Atlantic. He stressed that “the installation of a radar in this locality means greater control and surveillance in our territory. This radar is part of the SINVICA plan [the National Aerospace Surveillance and Control System], which began in the north of the country and is going down to the south. That’s why we came to Patagonia, because we are very interested in this radar being in Tierra del Fuego, because of its strategic position in the Southern Sea, on the way to Antarctica and the islands”.
The announcement is part of the National Radarisation Plan, which has also encompassed the installation of two RPA200 radars (also manufactured by INVAP) this year in Tostado (Santa Fe province) and Mercedes (Buenos Aires), which will strengthen SINVICA.
The RPA-170M is a state-of-the-art medium-range 3D tactical air defence radar – a mobile system designed for rapid deployment with minimal staffing, and offering excellent performance in a wide range of operational scenarios, even in the most adverse conditions. Deployment takes less than 30 minutes with two people, and it can be operated locally, constituting a complete C3 centre in itself, or remotely. A software-defined radar, it offers maximum flexibility, allowing it to adapt to a range of mission requirements in a wide range of operational environments. Specially shaped beams for low elevation use, in particular, give it a remarkable ability to detect small aircraft.
The radar, manufactured and subsequently modified by INVAP, is currently in the Aerospace Surveillance and Control Center of the Argentine Air Force in Merlo, Buenos Aires. Deployment of the radar to Rio Grande will be carried out from the first half of May, marking a milestone and a significant advance in the surveillance and air control of this strategic area in southern Argentina. It will be the first permanent presence of the Argentine Air Force in Tierra del Fuego.
Santiago Rivas in Buenos Aires for MON
