Name Hércules Laid down 16 June 1971 Commissioned 12 July 1976 Launched 24 October 1972 Displacement 3.719 million kg | Ordered 18 May 1970 Acquired 10 May 1976 Construction started 16 June 1971 Length 125 m | |
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ARA Hércules is a former Type 42 destroyer of the Argentine Navy (Spanish: Armada de la República Argentina), which was transformed into a multi-purpose transport ship with the pennant number B-52 (previously D-1) and assigned to the amphibious force in 1999.
History
The ship was ordered on 18 May 1970 and completed on 10 May 1976 at the Vickers Shipbuilding yard in Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom. During construction, an explosion on HMS Sheffield caused damage in the hull. The hull of Hércules replaced a section of the ship, as both were identical in build. She was delivered to Argentina and entered service on 19 September 1977. As built, Hércules 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 anti-ship missiles. The original boat decks by the funnel were modified in order to mount the launchers.
In 1982, along with her newly built sister ship, Santísima Trinidad, Hércules was part of the escort of the aircraft carrier Veinticinco de Mayo during the Falklands War.
The ship had a major conversion at astilleros ASMAR in Talcahuano, Chile in 2000 to allow the embarkment of a complement of 238 marine infantry troops, the flight deck and hangar were also enlarged to allow her to operate two Sea King helicopters. Each helicopter can also carry two AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles.
