 ARA Hércules after her conversion | |
| Career (Argentina) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Hércules |
| Namesake: | After a frigate commanded by Admiral Guillermo Brown in 1814 |
| Ordered: | 18 May 1970 |
| Builder: | Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering |
| Laid down: | 16 June 1971 |
| Launched: | 24 October 1972 |
| Acquired: | 10 May 1976 |
| Commissioned: | 12 July 1976 |
| Decommissioned: | 25 June 2024[1] |
| Reclassified: | 1999 |
| Homeport: | Puerto Belgrano Naval Base |
| Identification: | B-52 |
| Status: | Decommissioned |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Type 42 destroyer |
| Displacement: | 4,100 tons (4,170 t) |
| Length: | 125 m (410 ft) |
| Beam: | 14.6 m (48 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.2 m (17 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 28 knots (52 km/h) |
| Complement: |
|
| Armament: |
|
| Aircraft carried: |
|
ARA Hércules was a Type 42 destroyer of the Argentine Navy (Spanish: Armada de la República Argentina), which was transformed in 1999 into a multi-purpose transport ship with the pennant number B-52 (previously D-1) and assigned to the amphibious force. She was formally decommissioned in 2024 after having been non-operational for several years.[2]
History[]
Hércules in her original configuration
The ship was ordered on 18 May 1970 and completed on 10 May 1976 at the Vickers Shipbuilding yard in Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom. During construction, an explosion on HMS Sheffield caused damage to its hull.[3] The hull of Hércules replaced a section of the ship, as both were identical in build.[4] She was delivered to Argentina and entered service on 19 September 1977. As built, Hércules was identical to the initial Type 42 units commissioned by the Royal Navy. The Argentine Navy enhanced her offensive capabilities with MM-38 Exocet anti-ship missiles. The original boat decks by the funnel were modified in order to mount the launchers.[5][6]
In 1982, along with her newly built sister ship, Santísima Trinidad, Hércules was part of the escort of the aircraft carrier Veinticinco de Mayo during the Falklands War.[7]
The ship had a major conversion at ASMAR in Talcahuano, Chile in 2000 that removed the anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile systems to allow for the embarkation of 238 marine infantry. The flight deck and hangar were also enlarged to allow her to operate two Sea King helicopters. Each helicopter could carry two AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles.[8]
As of 2020, Hércules was reported to be non-operational.[9] She was formally decommissioned in 2024.[10]
See also[]
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Piñeiro, Luis (26 June 2024). "La Armada Argentina da de baja el mítico ARA "Hércules" tras la baja del destructor MEKO 360 ARA "Heroína"". Defensa.com. https://www.defensa.com/argentina/armada-argentina-da-baja-mitico-ara-hercules-tras-baja-meko-360.
- ↑ Videla Solá, Mariano Germán (22 March 2024). "After years without sailing, the Argentine Navy confirms the definitive decommissioning of the Multipurpose Fast Transport ARA "Hércules"". Zona Militar. https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2024/03/22/after-years-without-sailing-the-argentine-navy-confirms-the-definitive-decommissioning-of-the-multipurpose-fast-transport-ara-hercules/.
- ↑ "Commons debate - Royal Navy" Parliament of the United Kingdom https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1971/may/04/royal-navy. Retrieved 20 June 2015
- ↑ "A Rip in Time for Sheffield". Navy News. Royal Navy. April 2007. pp. 7. http://publishing.yudu.com/A9cr/navynewsapril/resources/7.htm?skipFlashCheck=true. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ↑ "Differing little from their British sisters, they did however mount Exocet." Haws, Duncan:Elders & Fyffes and Geest. TCL Publications, 1997. Item notes: v.32 1997. ISBN 0-946378-31-2
- ↑ Tecnología militar, Volume 26. Grupo Editorial Mönch, 2004, page 103 (in Spanish)
- ↑ Smith, Gordon (2006). Battle Atlas of the Falklands War 1982 by Land, Sea and Air. Lulu.com. pp. 56. ISBN 1-84753-950-5.
- ↑ Transporte Multiproposito B52 ARA Hercules official site (in Spanish) Archived October 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "El retroceso operacional de la Armada Argentina en la últimas décadas". 3 August 2021. https://www.zona-militar.com/2021/08/03/la-retroceso-operacional-de-la-armada-argentina-en-la-ultimas-decadas/.
- ↑ Solá, Mariano Germán Videla (2024-03-22). "After years without sailing, the Argentine Navy confirms the definitive decommissioning of the Multipurpose Fast Transport ARA "Hércules"" (in en-US). https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2024/03/22/after-years-without-sailing-the-argentine-navy-confirms-the-definitive-decommissioning-of-the-multipurpose-fast-transport-ara-hercules/.
Bibliography[]
The original article can be found at ARA Hércules (B-52) and the edit history here.