On October 17, 2023, Argentina’s Ministry of Defense announced the acquisition of four P-3 Orion aircraft from the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency (NDMA). Aimed at fortifying its maritime capabilities, the aircraft will primarily be used for surveillance and search and rescue operations in the South Atlantic, covering Argentina’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Of the four aircraft, three P-3C Orions are configured for maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface missions, while one P-3N is specialized for search and rescue operations.
It’s worth noting that Argentina received six P-3B Orions from the U.S. Navy between 1997 and 1999 for its Naval Aviation. Two of these served as parts reserves. Plans were initially made to replace them with four second-hand P-3C Orions from the U.S. Navy by the end of 2019, but those negotiations fell through.