The institution needs to replace eight frigates purchased second-hand and which are on average 30 years old. The Commander in Chief of the Chilean Navy, Admiral Juan Andrés De La Maza, stated that his institution could begin the construction of frigates in the facilities of the Talcahuano industrial plant of Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada (Asmar) around the year 2030. Admiral De La Maza made this statement in an interview published on Sunday, June 19 in the newspaper El Mercurio de Valparaíso, one year after assuming command of the institution. The authority referred to the Continuous National Shipbuilding Plan initiated by the Chilean Navy, which will allow the renewal of auxiliary ships, logistic units and frigates instead of acquiring them used abroad, contributing to the generation of jobs, research, innovation and new companies in the country. The admiral highlighted the construction of the icebreaker Almirante Viel, which is expected to be launched in December of this year, and the next step which will be the replacement of the ships of the Naval Transport Amphibious Command (Comanfitran) with the approval of the construction of the first two units out of a total of four projected. A COUNTRY CHALLENGE De La Maza, who defined shipbuilding as one of his management axes, stated that “ships are normally built for 30 years of life, and in this market we obtain them in the middle of their useful life, when they have to be upgraded, that is, to improve the systems and many things, which costs almost as much as building a ship”. The authority said that “in the country there is a shipyard community and opportunities for all. In shipbuilding there is engineering, there is education, we need specialized people of all kinds, from technicians and professionals to engineers of the highest level, who we may have to train abroad; there is work for the SMEs and the industry”. The eight frigates that make up the National Squadron were acquired second-hand and have on average more than three decades of service. “Every time we take them for maintenance we have to inject a good amount of resources to modernize the systems” and the replacement of these ships “is a great challenge that we have to face as a country, because it will bring benefits to all of us”, the admiral pointed out. Regarding the start date for the construction of the frigates, De La Maza said that “if everything goes well, I think we could think about the year 2030, because we are already taking the first steps and working on detailed engineering, there are projects, there are people and many things to do. We are talking about eight more years. EXPONAVAL In view of the importance of reaffirming the role of the naval industry in Chile and highlighting its development and progress, the XII International Naval Exhibition and Congress, the largest in Latin America, ExpoNaval 2022, will be held between November 29 and December 2. The international meeting to be held at the Passenger Terminal, Port Valparaiso, will show the local progress of goods, products and services oriented to the naval industry. It will also introduce to the market new technologies not available in the country, exchange experiences with local and international agents, and present effective solutions to the navies of Latin America. In this way, commercial relationships and contact networks will be established, and the innovation and development of the sector will be made known. The International Exhibition and Congress will be the meeting point for representatives of navies from more than 35 countries in Latin America, Europe, America, Asia, Oceania, and for exhibitors from the global defense industry, shipyards, technology, security, telecommunications, among others. For this new version, the fair will have more than 160 exhibiting companies, will have more than 500 business meetings and expects to receive 35 thousand professional visitors. Source: Info Defense