As swerve points out it’s not a rebuild that they need its more an upgrade of platforms. The first question is how much life is left in the Kfir’s and can they be upgraded if so this should be done if not then a number of options may be open. When we look at the air force it is well balanced if not a bit type heavy as in it has 26 fast jets 2 large and 9 medium tactical transports and also a good number of transport helicopters

Option 1) Buy 2 new types 10 JF-17’s and 18/20 A-29 Tucano’s

Option 2) buy 8 second hand Mig-29’s and 18 new Yak-130’s

Option 3) Do a deal with Dassault where they find and upgrade 10 Mirage F-1’s and 20 Alpha Jets at a fixed price

The three options are based on operating just two types in the fighter/attack roles with the second type able to conducked a training role and not 4 types with 8 variants

A patrol a/c covers at least 100 times as much area in at most 1/1000 of time compared to a ship.
A few police/patrol boats with the patrol a/c is better in all relevant aspects.

One thinks you have a lot to learn if we go with your thinking all the navy’s in the world can wrap up and stand down

Yes aircraft can cover large areas quickly however once they have spotted something that may not look right they are done and have to hand over to naval ship to have better look

Defence in depth needs both MPA’s and naval ships and what the Argentine navy needs right now is good MPA’s and a workable fleet and not fast jets wasting money carrying out risky touch and goes on someone else’s carriers each hour in the air needs to be spent carrying out real mission profile training not show boating some capability you do not have its not just the fuel it’s the hours it knocks off the airframe every time you slam into the deck and once the air force has F-1 the need for super Ed goes away as F-1 can carry and deliver Exocet

If they do buy the Mirage F-1ms and the simulator it will be a big step forward for the FAA allowing a new way of training and airframe management to take place plus the F-1m will allow them to turn up to regional exercises with real capability.and they have a long way to go before they are fully operational

As for the navy doing deck quals who ever is signing this off should be sacked I think they should lose the fast jet capability and start building a workable fleet for their home waters defence and UN duties as this is a area Argentina is getting some real credit from the likes of the US

Back on topic, it seems like “light frigates” are making inroads with the French & Italians… almost a rebirth of the UK’s C2 “choke point escort” concept!

Both navies are looking at 3,500-4,500t “mini-Absalons” (or “large-LCSs” depending on how you see it), with an emphasis on modular payloads instead of kinetic weapons:

• “Flex” deck for vehicles and accomodation for 100+ passengers/special forces
• Two helicopters
• Deck space for RHIBs, landing craft and/or containers
• Reconfigurable rooms for command spaces, hospitals etc

So basically optimized for sea control, special forces insertions, blockades, or prepositioned forces near failed states and disaster areas. Aside from a gun for NGFS, armament is limited or non-existant, but provisions exist for future add-ons.

The Italian concept – “Multirole Offshore Patrol” vessel

The French concept – “Mid-sized Frigate”
(Note: HIGHLY conjectural drawing, based on sparse info and extrapolating from DCNS’s Advansea concept)

All-in-all, the premise appears to be that there are many many conflicts involving low-tech, assymetric opponents. These “wars” are too intense for OPVs (what with the odd Grad rocket salvo, suicide attack, land-based missile launch, or low-end fighter-bomber…), but are a waste of a high-end frigate’s ASW or air defense capabilities. Some examples: Yougoslavia to Irak, Syria, Lebanon, Libya & Somalia. All failed states, border wars, terrorism, piracy or trafficking…

(Yes, there are many small countries with modern forces, including token numbers of jets and/or submarines, but they are rarely balanced, well-trained, AND dangerous. As for real “hot wars”, they can only be caused by a handful of usual suspects (China, Russia, India, Iran…), best handled by deterance, alliances and existing high-end warships.)

the British Black Swan sloop concept that was set to come in at about £65mn each
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Some ships that could meet this thinking for Asian market

PKG class patrol vessel cost $38mn length 62 m speed 41kn armament 1 76mm gun 4 anti ship missiles
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Frassmar OPV 80 cost $38mn length 80m speed 25kn armament 1 40mm gun
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Both allow 25 ships for about $1bn and offer good flexibility

Matt I take it you did not take the time to read the article I high lighted as it talks about China’s navy’s need to control areas it sees as important and how in time as it learns to use this force it will start to match the USN it this region

that must have been a first. winning all the battles and still losing the war takes some doing

but I would agree the biggest enemy the US forces had in Vietnam was the US government I mean sending 5 F-105’s with 1 bomb each just to get the sortie count for the day wow