Navy of Peru / Marina de Guerra del Perú - Modernization
The Peruvian Navy faces a major problem of obscolescence. Many of its ships are ageing, and often second-hand ships at that.
The Navy faced great challenges and difficulties. It actively participated in two internments conflict with Ecuador (1981 and 1995), as was the case covering the maritime flank and flank the river. In the same context, several members actively participated in the negotiation process that followed each of these conflicts. On the other hand, it had to lament the loss of several of its members as a result of the sinking submarine Pacocha in waters of Callao, on August 26, 1988, after being collided by a Japanese fishing boat. The heroic behavior of their commander, Commander Daniel Nieva, and all his crew lived up to the occasion. The subsequent refloating of the ship was a triumph Service Diving and Salvage which helped alleviate the institutional Despite those losses.
Peru, though it maintains a relatively small military, was shaping up to be one of the more vibrant markets over the coming decade. Since the early 2000’s, Peru has experienced steadily-improving economic conditions owing to a flourishing export-oriented economy. Increased foreign investment and the universal appeal of Peru’s main exports – gold, copper, and other vital metals – have lifted the country out of its previous slump and left it with a much stronger economic outlook. That influx of money is finally beginning to trickle down to the military, and with an aging inventory of platforms and systems, they are happy to see it.
Peruvian military procurement focused on two main mission areas – naval security and anti-narcotics. Regional competition and a sizable coastline put pressure on the Peruvian military to maintain a robust, modern naval force. This has been a struggle up until recently, when new funding allowed the Peruvian navy to start exploring its options and expanding purchases.
Daewoo International signed contracts with the Peruvian navy to build two multipurpose vessels, while the fleet added river patrol boats, opened a competition for 500-ton patrol vessels, and stated a need for an Antarctic research vessel. While the budget may yet be a little too tight to handle a complete naval modernization in the immediate time frame, continued naval growth is expected past 2025 as the military continues to shape itself in the out years.
In 2013 Admiral Carlos Roberto Tejada Mara wrote that "Planned innovations are based on force re-sizing, asset modernization, and improving research and development programs, mainly oriented to increase operational capabilities, which are supported by the country’s economic growth achieved in recent years. First, naval forces will be re-sized according to their mission for the future. Construction may encompass surface-warfare ships, support ships, offshore patrol vessels, coast-guard vessels such as maritime patrol ships, coast patrol boats, fleet oilers, riverine boats, and oceanographic units — the latter perhaps with Antarctic-expanded capabilities."
Submarines
A force of ten submarines gave Peru the largest underwater fleet in Latin America. Six of the submarines that entered into service between 1974 and 1977 were Type 209, built for Peru in West Germany. All were conventionally powered with eight twentyone -inch torpedo tubes and had a complement of five officers and twenty-six technicians and enlisted personnel. The other submarines were former United States Navy craft that had been refitted and transferred to the Peruvian Navy. One was a Guppy IA class launched in 1944 and acquired from the United States Navy in 1975, with ten twenty-one-inch torpedo tubes and a personnel complement of eighty-four. The other three were newer modified Mackerel class, launched between 1953 and 1957, with six twentyone -inch torpedo tubes and a crew of forty.
Cruisers
The two cruisers were the former Netherlands De Ruyter and De Zeven Provincien, purchased in 1973 and 1976 and renamed the Almirante Grau and the Aguirre, respectively. The Almirante Grau was reconditioned in the late 1980s to include eight surface-to-surface missiles (Otomats), in addition to its eight 152-mm surface guns and 57-mm and 40-mm antiaircraft guns. The Aguirre carried the same guns (four 152-mm) but had been modified for a hangar and flight deck for three Sea King helicopters equipped with Exocet missiles. Each cruiser had a crew of 953, including forty-nine officers.
The light Cruiser BAP ALMIRANTE GRAU has been continously modernised and the attemps to retire it from service have been rejected due to the extreme difficult of finding a replacement vessel so heavily armed (eight 6" automatic computer operated guns and eight OTOMAT MK-II SS missiles), and heavily armored (which is claimed to allow the ship's hull to deflect and resist direct EXOCET impacts). The engines still work fine, but the fuel consumption is very high.
Destroyers
Peru's six destroyers were all older ships from the 1940s and early 1950s. The two former British destroyers, renamed Ferré and Palacios, had been refitted to accommodate eight Exocet missile launchers and a helicopter deck in addition to their regular armament of six 114-mm guns and two 40-mm antiaircraft guns. The other four destroyers were those remaining in active service of the eight purchased from the Netherlands between 1978 and 1982 (the other four were cannibalized for parts); their armament included four 120-mm guns.
Frigates
Contrasting with these older, even antiquated former Dutch destroyers were the four modern Lupo-type frigates and six fast missile attack craft. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Navy of Peru embarked on a process of institutional modernization in order to be prepared for the challenges that the new world order require the country. Thus, within the general framework of restructuring and under an agreement signed between the governments of Peru and Italy four Lupo class missile frigateswere acquired in order to ensure maintenance of the naval balance in our region and safeguard the territory and national sovereignty, and to collaborate in solving contemporary international problems that are set in the sea.
Two of the frigates, Melitón Carvajal and Manuel Villavicencio, were completed in Italy in 1979; the other two sister ships were constructed at the Callao Naval Base under license to the Maritime Industrial Service (Servicio Industrial de Marina--Sima), a public company with three operational centers (Callao, Chimbote, and Iquitos) and launched in the early 1980s. Equipment and armament for each included an Agusta Bell 212 helicopter, eight Otomats, two batteries of surface-to-air missiles, and a 127-mm gun.
In a second stage, the incorporation of this type of naval units to the fleet of the Navy materialized with the arrival of BAP BAP Aguirre Palacios and the Port of Callao in 2005. These units have a displacement of 2,280 tons at full load and high power weapons and surface-to-surface OTOMAT MK-2 surface-to-surface missiles Sea Sparrow launcher eightfold MK-29 and MK-32 triple torpedo tubes.
Subsequently, there arrived the last two frigates: the Bolognesi in August 2006 and in January 2007 Quinones, units with capacity to carry out sea patrols against criminal activities such as illegal fishing, drug trafficking and piracy. Their presence in the country allows our Navy, expand their participation with a greater number of naval units to assist in maintaining world peace at the request of the National United, and multinational operations.
It was shown that excellent operability of the Lupo class missile frigates in international waters was due to the great professionalism of the Peruvian Navy and experience in conducting this type of naval units. The acquisition of these missile frigates of the Lupo class are the synthesis of the vision of Naval Command and the Peruvian Government to constitute a tribute to the Grand Admiral Miguel Grau and Mariscal Ramón Castilla, who wanted a Navy of Peru with a powerful squad with ensure territorial integrity in the internal and external front.
Four were built under license from 1984-1987, and the 2nd batch of 4 ships was decommissioned by the Italian Navy and sold to Peru in 2004-2006. Units within that second group began upgrades in 2011, adding new electronics, radar, and decoy countermeasures, and reportedly replacing the Italian Otomat external link anti-ship missiles with French Exocet MM40 Block IIIs external link.
Missile attack craft
The six missile attack craft, each equipped with four Exocet missiles, were built in France for Peru and completed in 1980 and 1981. These ships were the most important component of Peru's surface navy because of their speed, versatility, and relatively recent construction.
Amphibious
On November 20, 2009 the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the US Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Peru for the refurbishment of two NEWPORT Class Tank Landing Ships being provided as Excess Defense Articles and associated parts, equipment and logistical support worth approximately $82 million. The Government of Peru requested a possible sale for the refurbishment of two NEWPORT Class Tank Landing Ships, Ex-Fresno (LST-1182) and Ex-Racine (LST-1191) being provided as Excess Defense Articles (grant EDA notification is being submitted separately) with rigid inflatable boats, spare and repairs parts, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $82 million.
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for economic progress in South America. This proposed sale will enable the Peruvian Navy to be interoperable with U.S. forces conducting maritime interdiction operations, improve its ability to execute counter narcotics, and counterterrorism capabilities, and ensure Peru’s overall ability to maintain integrity of its borders. Peru will have no difficulty absorbing the ships into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The prime contractors will be VSE Corporation of Alexandria, Virginia, and Fairbanks Morse of San Diego, California. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of contractor representatives to provide technical and logistics support in Peru for a period of three years. U.S. Government and contractor representatives will also be required to participate in program management and technical reviews for one week intervals, semi-annually.
This transfer did not take place.
Helicopters
General Dynamics Canada was awarded a multi-million dollar contract 27 October 2014 to upgrade four SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters with an integrated mission system to enhance the operational capability of the Peruvian Navy and its ability to meet the demands of modern maritime missions.
The contract, facilitated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), the Government of Canada's international government-to-government contracting organization, includes the acquisition of five helicopters by Peru. Four are for remanufacture and upgrade by General Dynamics Canada and the fifth one will be overhauled prior to delivery directly to Peru. The contract was awarded as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Peru, through the Peruvian Ministry of National Defense, and the Government of Canada, through CCC.
"The Peruvian maritime requirement shares many similarities with Canada and these demanding challenges lend themselves to the sophisticated technology developed and delivered into Canada's Aurora Incremental Modernization Program and the CH 148 Maritime Helicopter Project" says Brian Fava, vice president, General Dynamics Canada. "By leveraging this Canadian solution, the Peruvian Navy will gain real-time access to accurate and useful situational awareness intelligence provided by our integrated sensor suite, allowing operators to conduct complex surface and sub-surface maritime, blue water and littoral surveillance and search and rescue operations. We are proud to be part of this program."
Leveraging advanced sensor technologies, including General Dynamics' world-class Sonobouy Acoustics and Stores Management systems, the Peruvian mission system will collect and deliver information to on-board operators through an easily configured management system, providing the situational awareness required to detect, track and engage targets in a wide range of missions and scenarios.
General Dynamics Canada negotiated with Kaman Aerospace, the Original Equipment Manufacturer of the SH-2G Super Seasprite aircraft to provide services related to this program. These services were expected to include the aircraft systems upgrade and installation of the General Dynamics Canada Mission System into the helicopter. General Dynamics Canada is part of General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics.
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