ARA Hércules D-1 - B-52

 Scale 1:700 Dragon (Score 6/10)

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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.

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 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.

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

Reclassified: 1999

Homeport: Puerto Belgrano Naval Base

Identification: B-52

Status: in active service

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 Westland Lynx

As Multipurpose Transport

2 × Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King