Argentina Expressed to Buy TEJAS Fighter Aircraft

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    Context

    • During the meeting, Argentina expressed interest in the Made in India TEJAS fighter aircraft for the Argentine Air Force. 
      • Earlier, Malaysia also has expressed its interest in procuring the aircraft. 

    TEJAS Fighter Aircraft

    • About:
      • Tejas – meaning ‘radiant’.
      • Manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
      • HAL developed its first supersonic fighter – HAL HF-24 Marut – in the 1960s and phased them out in 1990. After that, it developed its supersonic fighter — Tejas.
    • Features:
      • Tejas is a single engined, light weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter. It has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) with associated advanced flight control laws.
      • The aircraft with delta wing is designed for ‘air combat’ and ‘offensive air support’ with ‘reconnaissance’ and ‘anti-ship’ as its secondary roles.
      • It can refuel in the air and be ready for war again.
      • These aircraft can fly as fast as the speed of sound, i.e., Mach 1.6 to 1.8, up at an altitude of 52,000 feet
    • Objectives:
      • To develop LCA for the IAF and simultaneously reduce the gap in the field of aeronautical technology available in India and the advanced nations of the West. 

    India-Argentina Relations

    • Political Relations:
      • India-Argentina relations are cordial and encompass political, economic, scientific and technological cooperation including Antarctic research and cultural cooperation. 
      • India opened a Trade Commission in Buenos Aires in 1943 and later converted it into an embassy in 1949. 
      • Argentina had established a consulate in Calcutta in the 1920s, which was transferred to Delhi as an embassy in 1950. Argentina opened a Consulate General office in Mumbai in April 2009.
    • Bilateral Trade:
      • The India-Argentina bilateral trade registered a historic peak of USD 5.7 billion in the year 2021, with a growth rate of 72% over 2020, with USD 1.4 billion worth of exports from India to Argentina and USD 4.3 billion worth of imports by India from Argentina. 
      • India became the 4th largest trading partner of Argentina in 2021. 
      • A bilateral business chamber, ‘India-Argentina Business Council (IABC)’ was formally launched on 14 October 2020. 
    • Defence: 
      • The Framework Agreement in the Defence is very broad in nature and will be covering issues related to the exchange of officers, training of armed forces personnel and cooperation in joint ventures for military equipment and peacekeeping operations.”
    • Cultural Relations and People-to-People Contact:
      • Rabindra Nath Tagore had visited Argentina in 1924 and stayed for two months as the guest of Victoria Ocampo, a well-known literary personality and writer. He wrote a series of poems under the title “Purabi” containing memories of his stay in Argentina.
      • Argentina can be a good destination for Bollywood. There will be a MoU inked in the field of joint film production.
    • South-South Cooperation:
      • India participated in the second high-level conference of the United Nations on South-South Cooperation in Buenos Aires in 2019.

    Key Facts about Argentina

    • Capital: Buenos Aires
    • Boundaries: It is a country in the southern half of South America.
      • Southwest: Chile
      • North: Bolivia and Paraguay
      • Northeast: Brazil
      • East: Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean
      • South: Drake Passage

    • History:
      • Argentina was a Spanish colony and Argentine culture has significant connections to Italian culture.
      • The declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861. 
        • This culminated in the country’s reorganization as a federation.
    • Political Features:
      • Argentina is a federal constitutional republic and representative democracy. 
      • It is subdivided into twenty-three provinces. 
    • Geographical Features:
      • Andes Mountain Range:
        • These are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America.
        • The Andes stretches through the entire continent, running in the north-south direction from Isthmus of Panama to the Strait of Magellan.
      • Highest point: 
        • Aconcagua (It belongs to the Andes mountain range.
      • Major rivers: 
        • Paraná, Uruguay.
      • Islands: 
        • Argentina claims sovereignty over a part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
      • Monte Desert: In Argentina, a smaller desert above the Patagonian desert.

    Source: AIR

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