Special report

URUGUAY Aviation

October 2013

by

SANTIAGO RIVAS

Uruguay’s Military Aviation

Santiago Rivas looks at how the Uruguayan’s military aviation struggles to balance its mission with continuous budget cuts.

PROTECTING ONE of South America’s smallest nations should not be problem but if only life was that easy! With a growing drug trafficking issue and a possible terrorist problem, the Uruguayan Armed Forces has its hands full. Unfortunately one of its biggest fights in recent years has not come from any of the above threats, but from the country’s politicians who continuously cut the defence budget, often leading the military struggling to fulfill its tasks. It is just as well that Uruguay boasts good relations with its two neighbors, Argentina and Brazil.

Uruguay

The Uruguay Air Force has three Air and a Military Aviation School. Of the three air brigades, the 1st at Carrasco International Airport has two subordinate units. Escuadrón Aéreo 3, tasked with transport duties is equipped with two ageing C-130B Hercules, three Casa 212 (two of them for maritime patrol), two Embraer Bandeirantes and one Brasilia. The other unit, Escuadrón Aéreo 5 operates one SA-365N Dauphin, four Bell 212 and eight Bell UH-1Hs, four of the latter received recently from the Spanish Army.

The 2nd Brigade, located at Durazno, in the centre of the country, has one equipped with five IA-58 Pucarás, another with Cessna A-37 Dragonflys while the Escuadrón de Vuelo Avanzado (Advanced Squadron) has a fleet of five Pilatus PC-7 trainers. The Brigade also has a small liaison escadrille with a Cessna 206.

The 3rd Brigade is the smallest one, located at Melilla Airport, in the outskirts of Montevideo and flies Cessna 206 and T-41 liaison aircraft.

Finally, the Military Aviation School, located at Pando, also near Montevideo, has a fleet of 11 Siai Marchetti T-260s basic trainers, of 12 delivered in 2000 and a Beech Baron for liaison.

Currently, the air force has many needs, the main being the replacement of the A-37 for a fighter with better capabilities, especially to intercept jets. At Durazno, Major Pedro Cardeillac, in charge of their unit, explained to the author that they regularly detect illegal flights, with their jets over Uruguayan territory but in most cases they can’t intercept them, as they are faster than the A-37. Two possibilities are on the table to solve this situation - one an expensive option to buy a batch of brand new Yak-130s and an alternative cheap solution to acquire second hand modernized Northrop F-5Es. The Air Force now waits for a decision from the government over its budget to see what it can afford.

Acquiring newer generation helicopters is another priority, as there is a need to increase the fleet of twin engined helicopters, especially to operate over the sea. Most of the Bell 212 fleet is usually deployed to Africa on United Nations missions, leaving only the Dauphin in Uruguay for use on VIP flights, SAR over the sea and participating in firefighting operations, especially during summer. That is a lot of responsibility for one helicopter! The UH-1Hs are used mainly for joint operations with the Army, which doesn’t have its own aviation.

While the transport force is small, it is enough for the tiny country. The two C-130Bs were recently overhauled and are now operational. A proposal by China to donate two Harbin Y-12 light transports is being considered and should the acquisition go ahead, they are destined for the liaison escadrille in Durazno, to support the deployment of other aircraft to FOBs.

An announcement was recently made for the acquisition for two BAe 125-700A for VIP missions, with a focus on flying the Uruguayan President.

Naval Aviation

Being only a shadow of its past, Naval Aviation is struggling to cope with a very small fleet of aircraft. Its inventory comprises two Beech T-34C Turbo Mentor, one of them out of service, and two Beechcraft Super King Airs, one equipped for maritime surveillance and the other, recently received, will be modified for such missions too. Despite the need for more platforms, there are no plans to buy them. In some aspects the retired Grumman S- 2G Trackers were more capable than the King Airs!

The helicopter force has three MBB Bo-105PAH received from the German Army, but they are operated in roles not usually associated with the single engine chopper - in the SAR at sea or anti-ship missions. A single Helibras HB-355 Esquilo is expected to return to the country after being in Brazil for overhaul for more than three years. All the helicopters can operate in the Antarctica from the ROU Artigas supply ship.

As the force is planning to buy two offshore patrol vessels, it is now looking at the possibility of buying three medium helicopters in the Dauphin or Bell 412 class. The plan is to buy new ones, which will take over from the old but reliable Westland Wessex retired in 2010.

The main problem the Naval Aviation faces is the inability to fulfil its mission of providing SAR over the sea. As a result, the Air Force has taken over the tasking, threatening the existence of the Naval Aviation.

Report edited by Alan Warnes