ARA Drummond ... 'navigational blunder'
Posted on 02/25/2010 6:04:30 PM PST by SmithL
Destroyer HMS York spotted the vessel up to ten miles inside the disputed "oil zone" around the South Atlantic islands.
York's crew monitored the progress of the Argie ship, a smaller corvette named ARA Drummond, before radioing her to change course.
The Drummond came within just 65 miles of the islands before complying.
She was sent packing with no further action taken.
Sources insisted her crew made an "innocent navigational blunder" and were embarrassed.
But the incident did nothing to calm the mounting storm over British oil exploration in the area.
A senior naval source told The Sun: "The crew of HMS York were pleased they had done their job properly.
"However, this couldn't have come at a more sensitive time for both governments.
It is possible the Argentine crew did make a mistake - but some people will question that."
The MoD confirmed yesterday that York, a 5,200-ton Type 42 destroyer launched just as the Falklands War ended, would remain in the area.
And it emerged a British submarine has also been dispatched to the islands.
It is understood York spotted the Drummond sailing alongside a French fleet.
The Argie corvette then broke away and headed straight into the disputed zone.
Under international law, the 15 miles of sea surrounding the Falklands are officially British waters.
However a much wider so-called conservation zone, which crucially is where the oil exploration is going on, is considered by island residents as "their" sea too.
It is NOT illegal for Argentine ships to enter it but the Drummond's "navigational blunder" heightened tensions.
The French-built corvette, which entered service in 1978, weighs only 1,170 tons but can pack four Exocet missiles and an array of other weapons.
But she would be no match for a destroyer in a battle.
Last night MoD officials were keen to play down the significance of the incident, insisting that radio dialogue between the two ships had been "friendly".
Meanwhile the diplomatic row deepened as Argentina took its protests over oil exploration to the UN.
Last night foreign minister Jorge Taiana said he asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to continue efforts to resolve the dispute.
He said the UN chief was not happy to learn the situation was worsening due to Britain letting Desire Petroleum's Ocean Guardian rig drill north of the islands.
Someone should send em a Garmin before they get a RN Harpoon in their side....
Drummond-Class Corvettes come with 4 MM 38 Exocet SSM Ship-Killers.
“Corvettes come with 4 MM 38 Exocet SSM Ship-Killers”
If you see it, SINK IT!
Where are they hiding the 14.5 inch gun? I can’t believe that the gun on the front is a 14.5 inch. Maybe, but it sure looks too small.
That's 1 (one) 4.5 inch gun.
The last time the Argentines violated British waters they lost the submarine Santa Fe (formerly USS Catfish) in Georgia and the cruiser General Belgrano (formerly USS Phoenix) in the British proclaimed “exclusion zone”.
I guess some lessons just don’t stick - especially when you are dealing with Peronistas turned communist.
That’s one 4.5” of course.
If that was 14.5 cm it would be a 5.7” gun. May be?
Mega-bump.
14.5, 14.6, whatever it takes.
14.5, 14.6, whatever it takes.
Need to send some of us Texas duck hunters.... You know if it flies it dies.......
They’re mostly in Palm Beach doing that right now.
‘Looks more like a 3”.
I’ve been yachts a lot bigger than that tin can!
ARA “DRUMMOND”
Displacement: n/a tons (empty); 1,170 tons (full load)
Length: n/a ft (80 m)
Beam: n/a ft (10.3 m)
Draught: n/a ft (3.55 m)
Propulsion:
2 shafts / propellers
2 SEMT Pielstick 12 PC2.2 V 400 diesel engines, 12.000 shp (8.948 kW) tot.
Max shaft horsepower: n/a shp max
Speed: 23 knots (43 km/h)
Range: 4,500 nautical miles at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Armament
4 Aerospatiale MM 38 Exocet SSM
1 4in/55 (100 mm) Creusot-Loire CADAM turret DP automatic fast-firing gun
1 twin 40 mm 70-cal. OTO Melara (Breda Bofors) AA guns
2 20 mm L/ 90 Oerlikon automatic guns
2 12.7 mm machine guns
2 triple 324 mm ILAS-3 ASW torpedo tubes (Whitehead AS-244 torpedoes, quantity n/a)
Aircraft: None
Complement: 95
Radar:
Air/Surface Search: Signaal DA08 (equipped with IFF).
Surface Search & helicopter control: Signaal ZW06.
Fire Control: Signaal STIR
Navigation: Decca TM 1226
Sonar: Thomson Sintra Diodon
Electronic Warfare:
Decoys: (no details available)
Datalink: (no details available)
Weapons Control System: Thomson-CSF System Vega, CSEE Panda MK2 director (optical), NASA director (optronic, for the 40 mm gun).
Concept/Program: French designed and built general purpose avisos (classified as “corvettes” by the Argentine navy).
Builder: n/a shipyard, Lorient, France.
Designer: n/a, France.
Design: A69 type.
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