Latin American Military - Argentina - Policía Federal Argentina (PFA) - Armour

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Revised: May 29, 2009
Copyright © 1997-2010 by Jean Charles Barroux - jbarroux@LAMilitary.org

Between May and December 1931 was performed in Argentina, with the help of a number of organizations, a collect called Día de la Seguridad Pública with the ultimate objective of improving the internal security forces of the nation. As a result five International truck chassis and three steel turrets for Armoured trucks were bought with the collected sum. A loan was sought from a company called Adolfo Bash y Cía in 1933 for the construction of the first Armoured truck using the International chassis previously bought, under the technical specifications of the Army's Dirección General de Arsenales de Guerra. The Adolfo Bash y Cía company was a local firm which had been building safes and armoured vaults for banks and official institutions since 1882. The first armoured truck was delivered on August 31, 1933 and the second the first days of October, and were based on the International B-series medium truck chassis and featured a rotary turret armed with a pair of Thompson submachine guns, which revolved over ball bearings. They were assigned to the Guardia de Seguridad, currently named Cuerpo Guardia de Infantería. The cost of both vehicles, excluding the chassis and turrets was of 15,000.00 local currency. The third vehicle would but put in service in 1934 and was based on an International A-series light truck chassis. It was fully armored and fitted with a two-way radio. Photographic evidence would show them parked in front of the Departamento Central de la Policía Federal during the revolution of June 4, 1943. Afterwards their trace is lost in history.

According to some sources, like the historian Ricardo Sigal Fogliani, the next armoured vehicles the Policía Federal Argentina would use would be the six Vickers Crossley Model 1926 that were the first armour ever to be bought by the Argentinean Army in 1927. At some point of time they were transferred to the Policía Federal Argentina but no other information on their use is available, suggesting indeed that they were not extensively used, if they were used at all. Indeed, according to another historian Dr. George V. Rauch, this is a false rumor based on the International/Bash armoured cars. Confirmation is sought on this matter.

After an exhaustive evaluation three Shortland Mk.2 were bought in 1972. These were initially operated by the División Tránsito and then by the newly formed 7^mo Escuadrón Blindado de Caballería depending of the Cuerpo de Policía Montada, based in the area of Palermo Chico. Eventually they would become part of another new unit called Agrupación Contra Disturbios depending from the Dirección General de Orden Urbano. These vehicles would be internally known as the Vehículo Blindado de Combate (VBC). At some point of time they were fitted with a sextuple 38.1 mm Venturini gas grenade launcher which could be rotated around in 360°, but this device has since been retired. Also, instead of the normal 7.62 mm Browning 300 MG the Argentinean examples are equipped with a 7.62 mm MAG MG. At least one of them is using the 2462 serial. The paint scheme was mat dark-blue.

By 1980 the three Shortland Mk.2 were already getting old so the Policía Federal Argentina decided to buy a replacement, which took the form of five brand new Beherman Demoen BDX which were assigned to the Cuerpo Especial de Operaciones Federales (CEPOC) depending from the Cuerpo de Policía Montada. These were the last BDX ever to be built. Two of the vehicles were provided with a front dozer blade (2476 & 2477) and another one is used as a command vehicle (2475), with the main difference being the planning table in the troop compartment. The other two vehicles use the serial 2478 & 2479. These vehicles are internally known as the Vehículo de Transporte de Tiradores (VTT). The BDX were also fitted with a sextuple 38.1 mm Venturini gas grenade launcher which could be rotated around in 360°. The paint scheme is the classic mat dark-blue.

Either in 1986 or in 1987 a couple of MOWAG Grenadier were transferred from the IMARA to this force, where they operated for some two to three years before being transferred to the Ejército Argentino (EA). Very little is known of the transfers of these two Grenadier and of their use by the Policía Federal Argentina. The IMARA also transferred two other Grenadier to the Policía de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (PBA) while the remaining two of the six acquired initially by the IMARA were sold into the civilian collector market.

After the events of September 11 the Policía Federal Argentina decided to put the three Shortland Mk.2 back in service and they can normally be seen, one at a time, in front of the American Embassy in Buenos Aires. On the other side, the BDX are normally used to protect the residence of the American Ambassador, also one at the time. These vehicles are also using a new serial number scheme composed by a three digit number that indicated the unit they belong to (i.e. "160") followed by two other digits indicating the particular vehicle (i.e. "160.81"). From time to time all of these vehicles can be seen during large riots or similar disturbances.

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