Argentina Air Force close to purchasing a new Saab 340 for LADE

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – As reported in July by ex-Defense Minister Agustín Rossi, during a ceremony held at the IX Air Brigade facilities, the Ministry of Defense was negotiating the purchase of an additional Saab 340 to expand the operations of the state-owned Lineas Aéreas del Estado (LADE) that serves Patagonia.

“The aircraft will be used to increase the operational air transport and ordinary transport capacity of the IX Air Brigade, Comodoro Rivadavia, Province of Chubut,” as specified in Resolution 2021-688-APN-EMGFAA.

Public bidding process N° 40/03-003-LPU21, called on August 20 and concluded on September 30, foresees the incorporation of a Saab 340B transport aircraft, with a budget of US$2.1 million.

The FAA’s technical specifications state that the aircraft must be equipped for passenger transportation, with a minimum of 33 passenger seats. The cabin equipment must be complete and in perfect working order for both cockpits.

It must be equipped with a folding access stairway at the main entrance and complete and operational restroom systems, as well as full emergency equipment as required by CFR 121.309.

As for its mandatory avionics, the Saab 340 must be equipped with 2 VHF communication devices; 1 HF communication device; 1 passenger address (PA) and service intercom system; 2 electronic flight instrument display systems (EFIS); 2 VOR/ILS navigation receivers; GPS; autopilot and flight director system; 2 air traffic transponders (ATC) with “Mode S” and primary surveillance; 1 on-board air traffic collision avoidance computer (TCAS II) Version 7.0 or higher; etc.

Finally, the aircraft should be delivered fully painted according to the scheme, colors and specifications provided by the FAA in an attachment.

Upon opening of the envelopes, 2 commercial bids were received. One is from C&L AEROSPACE LLC and the other from GANTT AVIATION INC, both U.S. companies.

The process will now move on to the technical evaluation of the aircraft, to be inspected for compliance with the specifications. The aircraft’s date of manufacture and level of wear and maintenance will significantly impact the technical scoring system established by the FAA.

The winning bidder will have the highest score in both the technical and economic evaluation (price and payment terms). The economic evaluation will represent 50% of the overall evaluation.