ARA Hércules
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 Hércules |
|
| Career (Argentina) |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Vickers Shipbuilding |
| Laid down: | 1970 |
| Commissioned: | 1976 |
| Reclassified: | 1999 |
| Homeport: | Puerto Belgrano Naval Base |
| Fate: | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 4,100 tons |
| Length: | 125 m (410 feet) |
| Beam: | 14.6 m (48 feet) |
| Draught: | 5.2 m (17 feet) |
| Propulsion: | COGAG - 2 x RM-1A Gas Turbines (8,200shp); 2 x TM-3B Gas Turbines (54,400shp) 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 28 knots |
| Complement: | 238 |
| Armament: | 1 x 4.5in DP; 1 x 2 Sea Dart; 2 x 20mm AA; 2 x 3 12.75in torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 x Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King |
ARA Hércules is a Type 42 destroyer of the Argentine Navy. The ship was ordered on May 18, 1970 and completed on May 10, 1976 at the Vickers Shipbuilding yard in Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom. She was delivered to Argentina and entered service in September 19, 1977. As built, she was identical to the initial Type 42 units being commissioned by the Royal Navy. The Argentine Navy upgraded the warship by enhancing her offensive capabilities with MM-38 Exocet missiles.
In 1982, along with her newly built sister ship, ARA Santisima Trinidad , she was part of the escort of the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo during the Falklands War.
The ship had a major conversion in Chile during the late 1990s in which the flight deck and hangar were enlarged to allow her to operate Sea King helicopters, as well as an upgrade of the electronics systems and commissioned to the amphibious force.
Today, she operates as a multi-purpose transport ship with Pennant Number B-52[1]
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