ARA Hércules (B-52)

ARA Hércules after her conversion
History
Argentina
Name	Hércules
Namesake	After a frigate commanded by Admiral Guillermo Brown in 1814
Ordered	18 May 1970
Builder	Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering
Laid down	16 June 1971
Launched	24 October 1972
Acquired	10 May 1976
Commissioned	12 July 1976
Decommissioned	25 June 2024
Reclassified	1999
Homeport	Puerto Belgrano Naval Base
Identification	B-52
Status	Decommissioned
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 42 destroyer
Displacement	4,100 tons (4,170 t)
Length	125 m (410 ft)
Beam	14.6 m (48 ft)
Draught	5.2 m (17 ft)
Propulsion	COGAG - 2 × RM-1A gas turbines 8,200 shp (6,100 kW) 2 × TM-3B gas turbines 54,400 shp (40,600 kW) 2 shafts
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h)
Complement	270 as Destroyer 166 (+238 troops) as Multipurpose Transport
Armament	As Destroyer 1 × 4.5-inch (114 mm) DP gun 1 × 2 Sea Dart anti-aircraft missiles 4 × MM38 Exocet anti-ship missiles 2 × 20mm anti-aircraft (AA) guns 6 × 12.75-inch (324 mm) torpedo tubes As Multipurpose Transport 1 × 4.5-inch DP gun 2 × 20 mm AA guns; 6 × 12.75-inch torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried	As Destroyer 1 SA-319B Alouette III As Multipurpose Transport 2 × Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King

ARA Hércules was 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. She was formally decommissioned in 2024 after having been non-operational for several years.

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.

Hércules in her original configuration

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 ASMAR in Talcahuano, Chile in 2000 that removed the anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile systems 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.

As of 2020, Hércules was reported to be non-operational. She was formally decommissioned in 2024.

See also

• List of ships of the Argentine Navy
• List of auxiliary ships of the Argentine Navy