They were discharged since June after more than half a century of serviceThey are SH-3D Helicopter models of the Navy and were delivered for a symbolic price of 600 eurosCurrently there are only four operational models of that helicopter in our country”It was more expensive to maintain them and demilitarize them than sell them to Peru”, this is how Defense has justified the sale of six SH-3D Sea King helicopters to the Peruvian Navy for a symbolic price of 100 euros each ship. The total invoice has been 600 euros. The operation was authorized by the Council of Ministers at the beginning of October for its alienation to Peru together with a package of spare parts. The helicopters had been decommissioned in June. They had been in service for more than 50 years and a hundred thousand flight hours and were part of the Spanish Navy Aircraft Fleet. To questions from the deputy of the Mixed Group, Pablo Cambronero, the Government explained that the sale did not put the operation at risk of the Armed Forces. The units that have been sold were already discontinued. Its maintenance was going to be more expensive than the price that Peru has been charged. Half a century in operation and material already “obsolete” The first of these aircraft arrived in Spain on June 29, 1966, at the Rota base. Employed in submarine warfare and offshore search and rescue operations, helicopters were modernized years ago for amphibious operations. It has the capacity to transport up to 15 people in addition to the two pilots of the aircraft. The price of these helicopters was millions of pesetas at the time, but they have been active for half a century, specifically 56 years and with a high number of hours Of flight. According to experts consulted by NIUS, it is “an already amortized and obsolete material”. The SD-3H measure about 22 meters, have thermal cameras and machine guns that were updated years ago. In addition, Defense emphasizes that although a hundred euros may seem little, it must be considered that if they had not been sold, the costs of demilitarization and custody, something that would entail a larger outlay. Defense prefers to buy new material than having to pay for the maintenance of something that is no longer used. Peru has also paid for the transfer. In addition, it emphasizes that the costs of moving the aircraft are borne by the buyer. “Currently it is a material with high maintenance costs due to the low availability of spare parts, the limited useful life of the material and the obsolescence of the platform for its operational use,” he justifies. The withdrawal of these six helicopters will be supplied shortly by the entry into service of several units of SH-60F helicopters, which have an average cost per device of 20 million euros.