The planes that can’t fly scandal | Five aircraft were purchased by the Mauricio Macri government

Five Super Etendard aircraft have been purchased by the Government Mauricio Macrifor 12.5 million euros, They did not fly and never will. The Ministry of National Defense has asked France to take steps to provide ejection seats and other key parts of the devices, But a message from the head of the International Development of the Armaments Directorate of the French Ministry of Defense, Engineer Gael Diaz de Tuesta, It says literally: “We have been asked to make an effort to find the solution so that planes can fly. Unfortunately, after evaluating all possibilities, I regret to report that it was not possible to achieve this goal.” Super Etendards were bought by Macri with the understanding that they would be used in the event of an attack during the G-20 summit held at the end of 2018, but they have not taken off and will never be able to.

the facts

It smells a lot like a takeover and today it’s being investigated by The State General Syndicate, the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Administrative Investigations, and the Anti-Corruption Office. It was clear that the devices would not be available for the 2018 rendezvous, among other things because they had not flown for a long time, but above all, because the missing device – crucial for the ejection seat – originated from Great Britain, which, of course, was vetoed (as usual) Against providing any combat material.

Recently, macrismo circulated the version that the aircraft is not put in conditions because the government Alberto Fernandez Did not provide the necessary budget. The official message from the French Ministry of Defense stated that there is a meeting in Paris between the minister Jorge Taiana and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecorno, to find a solution that would allow the Super Etendard to fly. On March 17, the Ministry of the Armed Forces (this is the official name) addressed Argentina to indicate this The goal was not achieved.

UK restrictions on exports to Argentina prevent us from obtaining spare parts for the ejection seats. But, in addition, as our Chief of Naval Fleet noted in 2016, we’ve lost most of the capacity needed to keep these ships operational.” In other words, in 2016, during the Macri government, the French warned that the planes in question had been reprogrammed. and this, therefore, Until then they did not have personnel to handle these devices. In short, when Macri and his defense minister Oscar Ajawad They paid 12,500,000 euros for their Super Etendards, and already knew they would never fly, let alone in time to use them at the G-20 summit.

More than a strange purchase

As revealed Page 12 In March 2022, the Department of Defense’s internal investigation concluded in a devastating audit that Super Etendards were abandoned devices that were known to be incapable of flight and were subsequently purchased to fit with necessary replacement parts. and strength. Use it, so yeah, in the air. The planes arrived in May 2019 and Already at that time there were reports from the Navy indicating that spare parts were extremely difficult or impossible to obtain.

Purchasing the Super Etendard was strange any way you look at it. The operation was signed by the Chief of Staff, Marcus Penaand Minister Agwad, while the funds were provided by the then Minister of Economy, Nicholas Dujovny. Before the purchase was completed, there was a suggestive exchange of WhatsApp messages that showed the pressure that was in place to carry out the operation. Obviously, the planes will not be destined for the G20 since the purchase was completed in December 2017: it was impossible to buy spare parts, get to the country, place them and carry them out. test and training flights in just 11 months. But this did not happen: The planes only arrived in May 2018 and, of course, haven’t taken off yet.

US demands

For the G20 summits, the United States often makes security demands. For example, in 2005, under Nestor Kirchner, there was pressure from Washington to place an aircraft carrier in Mar del Plata. This permission is denied. The Kirchner administration placed Mirage and A4 aircraft at Tandil, but did not allow any further foreign presence. The United States decided to use Santiago de Chile Airport as a base, and there were always rumors that it located an aircraft carrier outside the Argentine continental shelf. In 2018, Washington managed security almost completely: it stationed planes in Ezeiza, El Palomar, Mendoza, and Uruguay.

Everything is slow slow

With the clue in sight, one of the following appears to have sung:

* Breach of the duties of a public official, because aircraft were purchased that it was already known would not fly at the time of the G20. In other words, there was inefficiency, inefficiency, and a high cost to the state.

* State fraudWhen it comes to such obvious maneuvers that show intent and lead to huge losses for the public treasury.

* Bribery, something that seems to have stemmed from what happened: a bribe was paid for the operation. In other words, there was a commission of officials who acted.

The strange thing is that the oversight bodies do not finish the ruling, and the criminal complaint is not submitted on this basis. At the Ministry of Defense, they await the opinions of the State General Syndicate, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Administrative Investigations. It will be six years since the purchase, and if one considers Comodoro Py’s cadences in the cases against macrismo, another ten years could go by without anyone being convicted of scandal. It doesn’t matter where you look.