MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Russian logistics for Argentina's Antarctic 2007/08 season

MV Vasiliy Golovnin<br>Photo Ivor Harris (Australian Antarctic Division)

The logistics of the coming Argentine Antarctic 2007/08 season has been contracted to Russian companies that will be providing an icebreaker and an air bridge for the most Southern of Argentine polar stations, according to reports in the Buenos Aires press.

Argentina has been forced to contract services for this Antarctic season following the fire that ravaged their own icebreaker "Almirante Irizar" last April which could demand 18 months to repair. Argentina also "privileged" its own resources instead of accepting assistance from other members of the Antarctic Treaty which had offered to help, including Britain and Chile. "The Argentine government privileged the independence of criteria, making use of its own resources, instead of the assistance offered by other member countries of the Antarctic Treaty" said Mariano Memolli, head of the Antarctic Department in Argentina's Foreign Affairs Ministry. The icebreaker "Vasily Golovnin" is scheduled to leave from Ushuaia for Antarctica in mid January. She has been contracted for 100 days at a cost of 2.8 million US dollars and includes a versatile KA 32 Kamov helicopter with a cargo capacity of 5.000 kilos. The helicopter is essential for transporting fuel to the Marambio base which has an annual consumption of a million liters of diesel oil for heating and generating electricity. However the chartering of the helicopter represents an additional cost of half a million US dollars. The other Russian company Antarctic Logistics Centre International Ltd which operates aircrafts from South Africa will have the task of flying Argentine personnel to the General Belgrano II base. The first flight is programmed for December 17 and will carry a team of ten to replace 18 people currently involved in scientific research. Apparently, 57 hours flight has been contracted at a total cost of 450.000 US dollars. Argentina's misfortune has also been extensive to the single Twin Otter used for Antarctic inner flights. She's undergoing repairs which have forced the Argentines to contract similar Twin Otter 300 aircraft from the Chilean Air Force for transporting personnel and scientists from the Jubnay base to Marambio. The icebreaker Irizar accident in mid South Atlantic, which was far more damaging than initially reported, not only has meant the vessel will be out of action for at least 18 months, but also the loss of very sensitive precision equipment in the labs on board and the records of most of the scientific material, reports and data collected during the 2006/07 Antarctic season.