Missing 2015 missile found in La Plata
Authorities said in 2015 the projectile was useless without a launcher and none were missing, but one was found on Thursday
A group of workers carrying out trench work in the city of La Plata on Thursday found a missile that had disappeared from Argentine army barracks years ago when the current head of the Federal Intelligence Agency, Agustín Rossi, was defense minister, it was reported.
After finding a TOW rocket launcher and missile in very poor condition, the workers notified authorities, who later determined it was the missing missile from an army unit in La Plata since 2015.
The weapon was found Thursday at noon some 11 kilometers from where it had disappeared, an 18-minute drive, according to local residents.
The explosives division of the Buenos Aires police dealt with the device, which was destroyed on the spot before the case was forwarded to Federal Court Number One in La Plata.
Army Chief of Staff General Guillermo Pereda reportedly informed Defense Minister Jorge Taiana of the discovery. The minister then relayed the news to Rossi, according to Infobae.
On January 16, 2015, defense authorities released a statement admitting the “absence of sensitive material” from an army unit in La Plata. At that time, the case was already being handled by the same federal court.
The 2015 statement claimed that “the missing missile is unusable as such” without a launcher. However, a “TOW BGM-71E-4B rocket launcher with its respective rocket” was found on Thursday, Infobae pointed out.
The American TOW 2 (Tube-launch, Optically tracked, Wire-guided) device is a versatile weapon and can be launched from a tripod or vehicle. As of 2015, it was the most widely used anti-tank guided rocket in the world, costing around $50,000 and weighing just over 21 kilograms (28 kilograms in the launcher). It measures one meter and 17 centimeters, has a maximum firing range of 3,750 meters and reaches a speed of 329 meters per second.
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