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ARA Almirante Irízar (Q-5)
Encyclopedia
The ARA Almirante Irízar is a large icebreaker
of the Argentine Navy
. The ship is currently out of service since 2007, when a fire broke out in the auxiliary generator compartment. The vessel is due to enter service in late 2012, once its reparation and refurbishment is fully completed.
; in 1903, when he held the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, he commanded the Argentine corvette ARA Uruguay
during a successful mission to rescue the Swedish Antarctic Expedition
of Professor Otto Nordenskjöld, after the expedition had been trapped by the Antarctic winter.
The vessel was built at the Wärtsilä
shipyard in Helsinki
, Finland
, under a contract signed in 1975 between the Argentine Navy and the shipyard. Irízar was launched in February 1978 and was formally commissioned on December that year, arriving in Argentina on . She replaced the elderly icebreaker ARA General San Martín, which was then retired from active service.
Almirante Irízars peacetime missions include annual campaigns to resupply and rotate the personnel assigned to the Argentine Antarctic
outposts, as well as conducting and supporting scientific endeavors in Antarctica. She has also conducted several passenger tours to Patagonia and the Antarctic.
The ship's homeport is at the Argentine Navy's Buenos Aires Naval Anchorage in the capital city of Buenos Aires
.
the vessel served as a troop transport and then as a hospital ship
, a role for which her crew included medical personnel from the Argentine Army
in addition to the naval medical staff. After the end of the war, she was used to return Argentine POWs and injured personnel back to the continent.
The ship gained attention in 2002, when she attempted to rescue the trapped supply vessel Magdalena Oldendorff
. Even though Irízar failed to break the Magdalena Oldendorff free, she managed to move it to a safety position and resupply the ship with food, medicine and medical personnel until the ice melted and Magdalena Oldendorff could return to open sea.
nian tanker Scarlet Ibis and a Uruguay
an fishing vessel. The icebreaker was returning from its annual Antarctic
summer campaign, and the incident took place some 140 miles (225.3 km) east of Puerto Madryn
.
The crew arrived safely to Puerto Madryn on April 12. There were no casualties.
The vessel's captain, Guillermo Tarapow, had stood alone for almost 24 hours after seeing his crew safely abandoned the ship. destroyer
ARA Almirante Brown
, corvette
s ARA Granville, and ARA Robinson
, aviso
s ARA Gurruchaga, ARA Suboficial Castillo
, and ARA Teniente Oliveri
, and Coast Guard PNA Thompson, surrounded the Icebreaker and began rescue operations. Buzos Tacticos and members of the Rescue Team of the Argentine Navy boarded the ship and extinguished the fire. On April 18, the ship started being towed to the Puerto Belgrano
naval base. Irizar finally arrived to Puerto Belgrano on April 20.
The fire caused the loss of the two Sea King
helicopters stored in their hangar, worth U$S
18 million each.
Subsequent to this incident, the British government have offered to supply Argentine bases in Antarctica, in support of scientific missions, using HMS Endurance
. This offer was turned down by the government of Cristina Kirchner which choose to lease the icebreaker Vasily Golovnin from Russia for the followings summer campaigns
due to legal issues surrounding the incident, the Irizar finally arrived in Buenos Aires
on to be taken to Tandanor
's shipyard for repairs. Repairs were expected to be completed in 2010 but they have continued into 2011, and are supervised by Norwegian shipyward Aker Yards
.
On March 2010 it was announced that the Irizar would not be ready for the 2011/2012 Antarctic campaign, meaning the Vasily Golovnin would be used for the 2010/2011 campaign too.
As of May 2010, the vessel is undergoing the fire repairs plus a reconfiguration at Tandanor shipyard. Although maintening her basic role of resupplying the southernmost Antarctic base Belgrano II, the ship will be primarily used as a research vessel
with the addition of more laboratories onboard, from a current spanned area of 74 m² (796.5 sq ft), up to 415 m² (4,467 sq ft). The diesel engines will be replaced by two new ones purchased from MAN, in October 2011. The main radar of the Irizar is also being repaired in Argentina by CITEDEF
Works are estimated to be finished by November 2011.
The Navy will acquire a second polar ship (similar to the currently used Vasily Golovnin) for the basic cargo role.
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
of the Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
. The ship is currently out of service since 2007, when a fire broke out in the auxiliary generator compartment. The vessel is due to enter service in late 2012, once its reparation and refurbishment is fully completed.
Background
The ship was named after Vice Admiral Julián IrízarJulián Irízar
Admiral Julián Irízar was an officer of the Argentine Navy. He became a key figure in the modernization of the navy's fleet, the commander of the First Division of the Navy and later Naval Center President, but his most memorable action was as commander of the corvette Uruguay in the 1903 rescue...
; in 1903, when he held the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, he commanded the Argentine corvette ARA Uruguay
ARA Uruguay
The corbeta ARA Uruguay, built in England, is the largest ship afloat of its age in the Armada de la República Argentina , with more than 135 years passed since its official incorporation in September 1874...
during a successful mission to rescue the Swedish Antarctic Expedition
Swedish Antarctic Expedition
The Swedish Antarctic Expedition was led by Otto Nordenskjöld and Carl Anton Larsen.-Background:Otto Nordenskjöld, a Swedish geologist and geographer, organized and lead a scientific expedition of the Antarctic Peninsula...
of Professor Otto Nordenskjöld, after the expedition had been trapped by the Antarctic winter.
The vessel was built at the Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
shipyard in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, under a contract signed in 1975 between the Argentine Navy and the shipyard. Irízar was launched in February 1978 and was formally commissioned on December that year, arriving in Argentina on . She replaced the elderly icebreaker ARA General San Martín, which was then retired from active service.
Almirante Irízars peacetime missions include annual campaigns to resupply and rotate the personnel assigned to the Argentine Antarctic
Argentine Antarctica
Argentine Antarctica is a sector of Antarctica claimed by Argentina as part of its national territory. The Argentine Antarctic region, consisting of the Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the South Pole, is delimited by the 25° West and 74° West meridians and the 60° South...
outposts, as well as conducting and supporting scientific endeavors in Antarctica. She has also conducted several passenger tours to Patagonia and the Antarctic.
The ship's homeport is at the Argentine Navy's Buenos Aires Naval Anchorage in the capital city of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Service
During the Falklands WarFalklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
the vessel served as a troop transport and then as a hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
, a role for which her crew included medical personnel from the Argentine Army
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
in addition to the naval medical staff. After the end of the war, she was used to return Argentine POWs and injured personnel back to the continent.
The ship gained attention in 2002, when she attempted to rescue the trapped supply vessel Magdalena Oldendorff
Magdalena Oldendorff
MV Captain Kurbatskiy was a Russian SA-15 class cargo ship originally known as Nizhneyansk after a port of the same name...
. Even though Irízar failed to break the Magdalena Oldendorff free, she managed to move it to a safety position and resupply the ship with food, medicine and medical personnel until the ice melted and Magdalena Oldendorff could return to open sea.
2004 Incident
On March 15/16 2004, the ship entered sea designated as conservation zones under the jurisdiction of the Falkland Islands and issued demands for other ships to identify themselves. This prompted a protest from the British government to the Argentinian government over its policing of seas under Falkland jurisdiction. The diplomatic note also re-asserted British sovereignty over the islands.2007 Incident
On at 22:00 UTC−03:00, a fire broke out in the auxiliary generators compartment. By 23:30 UTC-03:00 the captain had ordered the evacuation. Argentine Navy and Argentine Coast Guard aircraft operated to keep track of the 24 lifeboats. The 296 persons inside the icebreaker —including civilians of the Antarctic bases— were helped by the nearest ships, the PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian tanker Scarlet Ibis and a Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an fishing vessel. The icebreaker was returning from its annual Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....
summer campaign, and the incident took place some 140 miles (225.3 km) east of Puerto Madryn
Puerto Madryn
Puerto Madryn is a city in the province of Chubut in the Argentine Patagonia. It is the head town of the Viedma Department, and has about 57,571 inhabitants according to the last census in 2001....
.
The crew arrived safely to Puerto Madryn on April 12. There were no casualties.
The vessel's captain, Guillermo Tarapow, had stood alone for almost 24 hours after seeing his crew safely abandoned the ship. destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
ARA Almirante Brown
ARA Almirante Brown (D-10)
ARA Almirante Brown is the lead ship of the MEKO 360H2 series of four destroyers built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is the ninth ship in the history of the Argentine Navy to be named for Admiral William Brown, the founder and commander of the Argentine Navy during Argentina's war of...
, corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s ARA Granville, and ARA Robinson
ARA Robinson (P-45)
ARA Robinson is the fifth ship of the MEKO 140A16 Espora series of six corvettes built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is the second ship to bear the name of Captain Carlos Robinson, who fought in the Argentine Navy during the Argentina-Brazil War and died commanding a squadron of gunboats during...
, aviso
Aviso
An aviso , a kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop....
s ARA Gurruchaga, ARA Suboficial Castillo
ARA Suboficial Castillo (A-6)
The ARA Suboficial Castillo is a Abnaki class tug patrol boat of the Argentine Navy. She previously served in the US Navy as USS Takelma from 1944 to 1976....
, and ARA Teniente Oliveri
ARA Teniente Olivieri (A-2)
The ARA Teniente Olivieri is a fleet ocean tug in service at the Argentine Navy classified as aviso.Homebased at Ushuaia is normally assigned to operate in Antarctica during the summer campaigns in the Patrulla Antártica Naval Combinada with the Chilean Navy to guarantee safety to all touristic...
, and Coast Guard PNA Thompson, surrounded the Icebreaker and began rescue operations. Buzos Tacticos and members of the Rescue Team of the Argentine Navy boarded the ship and extinguished the fire. On April 18, the ship started being towed to the Puerto Belgrano
Puerto Belgrano
Base Naval Puerto Belgrano is the largest naval base of the Argentine Navy, situated next to Punta Alta, near Bahía Blanca, about south of Buenos Aires...
naval base. Irizar finally arrived to Puerto Belgrano on April 20.
The fire caused the loss of the two Sea King
H-3 Sea King
The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare helicopter. It served with the United States Navy and other forces, and continues to serve in many countries around the world. The Sea King has been built under license in Italy and Japan, and in the United Kingdom as the...
helicopters stored in their hangar, worth U$S
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
18 million each.
Subsequent to this incident, the British government have offered to supply Argentine bases in Antarctica, in support of scientific missions, using HMS Endurance
HMS Endurance (A171)
MV Polar Circle was built in Norway in 1990, chartered by the Royal Navy as HMS Polar Circle, and finally purchased as HMS Endurance. She is a former Antarctic ice patrol ship, and is a class 1A1 icebreaker...
. This offer was turned down by the government of Cristina Kirchner which choose to lease the icebreaker Vasily Golovnin from Russia for the followings summer campaigns
Upgrade
After a long period in Puerto BelgranoPuerto Belgrano
Base Naval Puerto Belgrano is the largest naval base of the Argentine Navy, situated next to Punta Alta, near Bahía Blanca, about south of Buenos Aires...
due to legal issues surrounding the incident, the Irizar finally arrived in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
on to be taken to Tandanor
Tandanor
Tandanor is an Argentine worker-owned shipyard, and the nation's largest. Tandanor is involved in shipbuilding and ship repair and has facilities in Buenos Aires' port....
's shipyard for repairs. Repairs were expected to be completed in 2010 but they have continued into 2011, and are supervised by Norwegian shipyward Aker Yards
Aker Yards
STX Europe AS, formerly Aker Yards ASA, a subsidiary of the South Korean industrial chaebol STX Corporation, is the largest shipbuilding group in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. With headquarters in Oslo, Norway, STX Europe operates 15 shipyards in Brazil, Finland, France, Norway,...
.
On March 2010 it was announced that the Irizar would not be ready for the 2011/2012 Antarctic campaign, meaning the Vasily Golovnin would be used for the 2010/2011 campaign too.
As of May 2010, the vessel is undergoing the fire repairs plus a reconfiguration at Tandanor shipyard. Although maintening her basic role of resupplying the southernmost Antarctic base Belgrano II, the ship will be primarily used as a research vessel
Research vessel
A research vessel is a ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel, others require a dedicated vessel...
with the addition of more laboratories onboard, from a current spanned area of 74 m² (796.5 sq ft), up to 415 m² (4,467 sq ft). The diesel engines will be replaced by two new ones purchased from MAN, in October 2011. The main radar of the Irizar is also being repaired in Argentina by CITEDEF
CITEFA
The Institute of Scientific and Technological Research of the Armed Forces , is an Argentine federal agency in charge of the research, development and homologation of armament....
Works are estimated to be finished by November 2011.
The Navy will acquire a second polar ship (similar to the currently used Vasily Golovnin) for the basic cargo role.
Specifications
| Displacement | 14,899 tons |
| Length | 390 feet (118.9 m) |
| Beam: | 25.2 m |
| Draft | 9.5 m |
| Propulsion | Original: 2 × 5 950 kW propeller motors |
| Upgrade: 2 Diesel MTU | |
| Endurance | 60 days |
| Hangars | 2 Argentine Navy Argentine Navy The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force.... H-3 Sea King H-3 Sea King The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare helicopter. It served with the United States Navy and other forces, and continues to serve in many countries around the world. The Sea King has been built under license in Italy and Japan, and in the United Kingdom as the... s |
| or 2 Argentine Army Argentine Army The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :... Super Pumas |
|
| or 2 Mi-17 MI-17 MI-17 can refer to:* Mil Mi-17, Soviet helicopter*M-17... |
|
| Crew | Original: 245 |
| Upgrade: 313 | |
| Ice breaking capability | Continuous: ice 1 meter thick |
| Ramming: ice 6 meters thick |