The Argentine Air Force (FAA, in Spanish) incorporated its first Beechcraft TC-12B Huron aircraft, which it acquired through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Excess Defense Articles program, the Argentine government said in a September 16, 2021 statement.
“This is the first of 12 units that we are going to incorporate, and it is part of a recovery and retrofitting process for the Armed Forces,” Major General Xavier Isaac, chief of the FAA General Staff, said.
MaryKay Carlson, chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, said that the delivery of the first aircraft “demonstrates how our countries can work together to strengthen each other.” The delivery is expected to be completed by 2023, she added.
The United States is providing these aircraft through grants, while Argentina is financing the setup, refurbishment, and delivery costs, Carlson added.
Technical details
The TC-12B is a military version of the Beechcraft 200 Super King Air; it has capacity for two crew members and 13 passengers, or 2.3 tons of cargo; a cruise speed of 499 kilometers per hour, with a range and ceiling of 3,338 km and 10,700 meters respectively, the Airforce Technology website said.
The aircraft’s versatility will facilitate assistance in cases of disaster, emergencies, and aeromedical evacuations, as well as in logistics and training operations, the Argentine Ministry of Defense indicated.
“We are going to train new pilots for transport aviation in the Air Force. They will be trained in airdropping, flight training, tactical navigation, and search and rescue,” said First Lieutenant Juan Francisco Manzur, assigned to the FAA’s A200C Squadron.