The maintenance and demilitarization and custody costs of the SH-3D helicopters were more expensive than their sale to Peru for a symbolic price of one hundred euros per helicopter, 600 euros in total.
This is how the Government justifies it in a parliamentary answer to Deputy Pablo Cambronero, collected by Europa Press. The operation was authorized by the Council of Ministers at the beginning of October for its sale to Peru together with a package of spare parts.
They are six SH-3D ‘Sea King’ helicopters of the Navy that were already decommissioned in June of this year after an operational life dedicated to the Aircraft Flotilla.
The Government assured after the approval of the transfer that the sale did not put at risk the operability of the Armed Forces, and so it repeats it to the deputy belonging to the Mixed Group, former member of Ciudadanos, as the entry into service of the planned units of the fleet of SH-60F helicopters, which have an average cost per aircraft of 20 million euros, is contemplated soon.
The Government argues that the obsolescence of the equipment, its high repair cost, transportation costs, limited marketing opportunities and, consequently, its low market value must be taken into account.
For this reason, it agreed the sale to Peru for a «symbolic price» of 600 euros, «a symbolic figure reached according to the clear logistic benefit for the Navy, by facilitating a final destination for this material», justified Defense.
But it also maintains that this transaction serves to «strengthen the fluid and trusting relationship existing between the Navy and the Peruvian Navy».
PURCHASED 56 YEARS AGO In the document sent to Congress, the Government recalls that the purchase of these aircrafts was made 56 years ago and insists that their life and residual value in the market must be taken into account. If they had not been sold, it explains that the Ministry of Defense would have had to assume the costs of demilitarization and custody.
In addition, he stresses that the costs of moving the aircraft are borne by the buyer. «At present, it is a material with high maintenance costs due to the low availability of spare parts, the limited useful life of the material and the obsolescence of the platform for its operational use», he justifies.
