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60-594: Bahía Paraíso was ordered by the Argentine Navy on 27 February 1979 as a supply ship for use in Antarctic waters. The ship was launched from the Argentine shipyard Astilleros Príncipe y Menghi SA on 3 July 1980, entering service on 3 December 1981, with the pennant number Q 6. Bahía Paraíso was 130.7 m (429 ft) long overall and 120.0 m (393.7 ft) between perpendiculars , with

120-598: A beam of 19.5 m (64 ft) and a draught of 7.0 m (23.0 ft). The ship had an icebreaking hull . Displacement was 9,200 t (9,100 long tons) full load. Two diesel engines rated at a total of 15,000 shp (11,000 kW) drove two controllable pitch propellers, giving a speed of 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h). The ship's holds had a capacity of 1,200 m (42,000 cu ft) dry cargo, with an additional 250 m (8,800 cu ft) refrigerated storage, together with 1200 tons of cargo fuel. A flight deck and hangar for two helicopters

180-627: A 12-mile (22.2 km) coastal limit imposed by the British. The Argentine Navy's contribution to the war was principally the initial amphibious assaults on 2 and 3 April; naval aviation Super Étendards armed with Exocet missiles, which sank Sheffield and the Atlantic Conveyor ; Skyhawks , which sank HMS  Ardent  (F184) ; and the Marines, with the 5th Marine Corps Battalion defending Mount Tumbledown . In addition,

240-565: A Chinese fishing boat that was reported to have been fishing illegally in Argentine waters. Partially to address this, a project for the re-focus of two Espora-class corvettes on patrol duties was reportedly under development. One of the corvettes subsequently selected for conversion to the offshore patrol role was ARA Parker . Subsequently in June 2024, the chief of the Argentine Navy, Vice Admiral Carlos María Allievi, suggested that

300-564: A Joint Maritime Command was established under the Joint Chiefs of Staff to defend Argentina's maritime sovereignty. Puerto Belgrano Naval Base ( Spanish : Base Naval Puerto Belgrano , abbreviated BNPB ) is the largest naval base of the Argentine Navy, situated next to Punta Alta, near Bahía Blanca , about 700 km (435 mi) south of Buenos Aires. Most of the fleet is based there. The Submarine Force Command ( Spanish : Comando de la Fuerza de Submarinos , abbreviated COFS )

360-577: A battalion of marines and an artillery battery. A naval arms race between Argentina, Brazil and Chile, the most powerful and wealthy countries in South America, began when the Brazilian government ordered three dreadnoughts, battleships. The first, Minas Geraes , was commissioned into the Brazilian navy in 1910. For most of both world wars, Argentina was neutral , only declaring war on

420-563: A chronic problem for the submarine service. After the San Juan disaster, the submarine service no longer maintained any active vessels. In 2019, the governments of Brazil and Argentina were working on a transfer deal of the four Tupi IKL209/1400 submarines currently operated by the Brazilian Navy. Two of the Brazilian submarines are currently non operational pending repairs, the other two are still active pending their replacement by

480-487: A cruising range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Her complement consisted of 28 officers and 420 enlisted men. Her main armament consisted of two 40- caliber Armstrong Whitworth 10-inch (254 mm) guns , in gun turrets fore and aft of the superstructure . The ten 40-caliber quick-firing (QF) 6-inch (152 mm) guns that comprised her secondary armament were arranged in casemates amidships on

540-562: A desire to acquire a Landing Platform Dock (LPD) as well as two naval transport vessels to increase logistical capacity, including in relation to the country's claims and presence in the Antarctic. In March 2023, an agreement was signed by Defence Minister Jorge Taiana for the Tandanor and Río Santiago shipyards to develop a multipurpose landing ship for the Argentine Navy. A polar ship and floating dock were also planned. As of early 2024,

600-586: A dozen British-built destroyers, and three submarines, plus minelayers, minesweepers, coastal defence ships, and gunboats. A naval air force was also in operation. In the postwar period, Naval Aviation and Marine units were put under direct Navy command. With Brazil, Argentina is one of two South American countries to have operated two aircraft carriers : the ARA ; Independencia and ARA  Veinticinco de Mayo . The Argentine Navy has been traditionally heavily involved in fishery protection , helping

660-436: A mean draft (ship) of 23 feet 4 inches (7.1 m). She displaced 6,773 metric tons (6,666 long tons) at normal load. The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines , each driving one shaft, using steam from eight Scotch marine boilers . The engines were designed for a maximum output of 13,000 indicated horsepower (9,700 kW) and a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). She had

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720-742: A modified cargo vessel, the ARA  Bahía San Blas . This situation was expected to improve in 2006 with the delivery by France of the first of the LPD Ouragan -class landing platform docks but the whole operation was placed on hold by the Argentine Government due to asbestos concerns. In 2010 France offered the Foudre  (L9011) instead. France also transferred the Durance  (A629) , now ARA  Patagonia  (B-1) , multi-product replenishment ship ( AOR ). In 1988

780-478: A polar transport ship. New German MEKO type destroyers, corvettes, and Thyssen-Nordseewerke ( Type TR-1700 ) submarines were still under construction at the time. After leading the invasion of the Falkland Islands, the Argentine fleet played only a small part in the subsequent conflict. After HMS  Conqueror sank ARA  General Belgrano , the Argentine surface fleet did not venture from

840-505: A result, only 15 of its 42 vessels are in a condition to sail. The 2013 defence budget allowed for the 15 operational vessels to each spend less than 11 days at sea, while the submarines averaged just over 6 hours submerged in the whole of 2012. ARA  Espora spent 73 days in late 2012 stranded in South Africa for lack of spares . The Almirante Brown -class destroyers are short of spares and their ordnance has expired, while

900-614: A short course in the Naval Academy after getting a civilian degree, except for the Paymasters who instead attend the Naval College). ARA Garibaldi ARA Garibaldi was one of four Giuseppe Garibaldi -class armored cruisers purchased by the Argentine Navy from Italy. Garibaldi had an overall length of 344 feet 2 inches (104.9 m), a beam of 50 feet 8 inches (15.4 m), and

960-742: A statement that the process had not in fact been abandoned. In early 2024, it was reported that the Navy was still working to restore at least two of the aircraft to flying condition. The Naval Infantry Command ( Comando de Infantería de Marina ) is the Argentine Navy's marine branch. Naval infantry have the same rank, insignia, and titles as the rest of the Navy, and are deployed abroad on UN peacekeeping missions . The Argentine Naval Hydrographic Service ( Spanish : Servicio de Hidrografía Naval , abbreviated SHN ) provides national hydrographics services. The Joint Maritime Command (CCM, in Spanish)

1020-534: A successful resupply mission, was attacked and disabled off South Georgia , where her crew then surrendered along with the Argentine detachment at Grytviken . She was later scuttled by the British. The core of the fleet was reformed with the retirement of all the World War II-era Fletcher and Gearing -class destroyers and their replacement with the MEKO 360 and 140 classes designed by

1080-841: Is the navy of Argentina . It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic , together with the Army and the Air Force . The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory in 1814 at the Battle of Montevideo over the Spanish fleet during the war of Independence . The Argentine Navy was created in the aftermath of the May Revolution of May 25, 1810, which started

1140-684: The ARA San Juan (S-42) stopped communicating during a routine transit to port following a military exercise. A search was launched by ISMERLO , however after 15 days of searching the Argentine Navy declared the end of the rescue operation, and solely focused on the recovery of the submarine—not the crew. 44 personnel were on the submarine when it disappeared. The final report made by Argentine congressmen stated that president Mauricio Macri and his defence minister had political responsibilities about what happened to ARA San Juan. Lack of funding for maintenance and personnel training had been identified as

1200-612: The Brazilian Navy aircraft carrier São Paulo or United States Navy carriers when they are in transit in the south Atlantic during Gringo-Gaucho manoeuvers. Argentina was the only Latin American country to participate in the 1991 Gulf War , sending a destroyer and a corvette in a first deployment and a supply ship and another corvette later to participate in the United Nations blockade and sea control effort in

1260-625: The Coast Guard : most notably in 1966 a destroyer fired on and holed a Soviet trawler that had refused to be escorted to Mar del Plata , in the 1970s there were four more incidents with Soviet and Bulgarian ships followed by other incidents such as the sinking of the Chian-der 3 . The Navy also took part in all military coups in Argentina through the 20th century. During the 1976 to 1983 dictatorship , Navy personnel were involved in

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1320-528: The Dirty War in which thousands of people were kidnapped, tortured and killed by the forces of the military junta, similar to practices which are now known as enforced disappearance . The Navy School of Mechanics, known as ESMA , was a notorious centre for torture. Among their more well-known victims were the Swedish teenager Dagmar Hagelin , and French nuns Alice Domon and Léonie Duquet (In October 2007

1380-490: The war for independence from Spain . The navy was first created to support Manuel Belgrano in the Paraguay campaign , but those ships were sunk by ships from Montevideo, and did not take part in that conflict. Renewed conflicts with Montevideo led to the creation of a second fleet, which participated in the capture of the city. As Buenos Aires had little maritime history, most men in the navy were from other nations, such as

1440-666: The 1990s, Chile. The exercises are routinely held to develop a common operational doctrine. Every year the Argentine and Chilean Navies participate in the Patrulla Antártica Naval Combinada (English: Joint Antarctic Naval Patrol ) to guarantee safety to all tourist and scientific ships in transit within the Antarctic Peninsula , where the Navy is also directly responsible for maintaining the Argentine bases there. On 15 November 2017,

1500-596: The 4 Scorpene type submarines currently under construction. However, in the early 2000s they had been upgraded with new combat systems by Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors. This gave the submarines the ability to carry and fire the MK 48 MOD 6AT ADCAP Torpedo. Although there are some reservations about the deal, the defense ministers and admirals of the Argentine Navy were enthusiastic about moving forward with it. The submarines were to be repaired and serviced in

1560-759: The A-4 Skyhawk aircraft were withdrawn, leaving the Super Étendard as the only fighter jets in the navy inventory. The already-paid-for A-4Hs bought in Israel as their replacement could not be delivered due to the embargo imposed by the United States after the war. Instead IAI used the money to refurbish the S-2E Trackers to the S-2T Turbo Tracker variant currently in service. In the 1990s,

1620-478: The Antarctic patrol ship ARA  Almirante Irizar had been under repair for 10 years because of a fire. On 23 January 2013 the Type 42 destroyer ARA  Santísima Trinidad sank at her moorings after having been mothballed for ten years. The Argentine Navy participates in joint exercises with other friendly navies including Brazil, United States, Spain, France, Canada, South Africa, Italy, Uruguay, and, since

1680-527: The Argentine Navy formally handed possession of the school to human rights groups to turn it into a memorial museum). During this regime, the Navy was also the main supporter of a military solution for the country's two longest-standing disputes: the Beagle Conflict with Chile and the Falkland Islands ( Spanish : Islas Malvinas ) with the United Kingdom. During the 1982 Falklands War

1740-729: The Axis in March 1945 . In 1940 Argentina's navy was ranked the eighth most powerful in the world (after the European powers, Japan, and the United States) and the largest in Latin America. A ten-year building programme costing $ 60 million had produced a force of 14,500 sailors and over a thousand officers. The fleet included two First World War -era (but modernized) American-built Rivadavia -class battleships , three modern cruisers,

1800-514: The Brazilian Navy's Tupi -class boats. However, it still remained unclear whether Argentina had either the financial resources or the political will to pursue any submarine replacement. In 2019, Argentina was also pursuing the procurement of four P-3C Orion aircraft from US Navy surplus stocks since Argentina's fleet of P-3B's were no longer operational since 2019. The package deal was approved in September 2019. The US State Department has cleared

1860-609: The Falkland's War, Argentine naval aviation employed the Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard fighter and its Exocet air-to-surface missiles being responsible for the destruction of both HMS Sheffield as well as the merchant vessel Atlantic Conveyor . Efforts to upgrade and retain the Super Etendard in service were initially reported to have been abandoned in 2023 due to a combination of U.K. sanctions impacting

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1920-639: The German shipyard Blohm + Voss . Also, the submarine force greatly reinforced its assets with the introduction of the Thyssen-Nordseewerke ( TR-1700 ) class. Although the original programme called for six units with the last four to be built in Argentina, only the two built in Germany were delivered. The amphibious force was drastically affected with the retirement of their only LST landing ship ARA  Cabo San Antonio and replacement by

1980-625: The Irish-born admiral William Brown , who directed the operation. As the cost of maintaining a navy was too high, most of the Argentine naval forces were composed of privateers . Brown led the Argentine navy in further naval conflicts at the War with Brazil and the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata . In the 1870s the Argentine Navy began modernizing itself. At the close of the century,

2040-520: The Navy now apparently considering completing the refurbishment of its older P-3B fleet pending the outcome of further discussions around the P-3C acquisition. As of early 2021, it was planned that, after upgrades, the P-3B would be returned to service starting in 2022. In December 2022, it was reported that the refurbishment of the P-3B was proceeding slower than anticipated and while a revised delivery date of

2100-802: The Navy with occasional tourists on board. It was on a resupply trip with tourists to Antarctica on January 28, 1989 when it struck rock and sank off Anvers Island . Passengers and crew were rescued by the Spanish Navy oceanographic research vessel Las Palmas and the Chilean Navy tug Cruz de Forward. The resultant oil spill of about 200,000 gallons of diesel and jet fuel constitutes the largest oil spill in Antartica. Chilean Coast Guard Tender Yelcho arrived February 6 to begin clean up operations. Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy ( ARA ; Spanish : Armada de la República Argentina )

2160-811: The Persian Gulf. Operación Alfil ("English: Operation [Chess] Bishop "), as it was known, carried out more than 700 interceptions and sailed 25,000 miles in the operations theatre. From 1990 to 1992, the Baradero -class patrol boats were deployed under UN mandate ONUCA to the Gulf of Fonseca in Central America. In 1994, the three Drummond -class corvettes participated in Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti. In 2003, for

2220-621: The Tandanor drydock facility. If the deal moves forward it would allow Argentina to restore its submarine capability which is currently defunct. As an alternative, in 2021 a Russian delegation visited the TANDANOR shipyard and other defence facilities, reportedly also making an offer to supply either the Improved Kilo-class submarine or the export variant of the Lada-class submarine to the Argentine Navy. In July 2022, in

2280-415: The Type 42 destroyer ARA  Santísima Trinidad , operated off Isla de los Estados (en: Staten Island). A land-based Exocet battery outside Port Stanley scored a direct hit on HMS  Glamorgan on 11 June; and a Marine Tigercat SAM put a Royal Air Force Harrier (XW 919) out of action on 12 June. Naval aviation also carried out intensive maritime patrols , searching to locate the British fleet for

2340-612: The UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled unanimously that the ship had immunity as a military vessel, and ordered that "Ghana should forthwith and unconditionally release the frigate ARA Libertad " Four days later Libertad was released from Tema and arrived to the port of Mar del Plata on 9 January 2013. The Argentine Navy is under-funded and struggling to meet maintenance and training requirements; as

2400-485: The ability to obtain spare parts for the Martin Baker Mk. 6 ejection seats and due France's inability to provide other spare parts for the aging aircraft. Five refurbished aircraft had been delivered from France in 2019. However, these aircraft have not been brought into service due to the spare parts problem. Subsequent to the report that that aircraft would not be brought into service, the Argentine Navy issued

2460-507: The already-built L'Adroit , which in 2016 visited the region on a marketing trip, as well as three new-build vessels. Following their construction in France, all four ships had been delivered to Argentina by 2022. In October 2012 the Navy's sail training ship ARA  Libertad was seized under court order in Ghana by creditors of Argentina's debt default in 2002. On 15 December 2012

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2520-651: The characteristic loop of the top stripe (in the manner of British Royal Navy officers). Combat uniforms may include metal pin-on or embroidered collar rank insignia. Rank insignia is worn on the chest when in shipboard or flying coveralls. Officers are commissioned in either the Command (line) Corps (those who attend the Escuela Naval Militar- Military Naval College) or the Staff Corps (Professional Officers who only attend

2580-448: The context of Argentina's desire to replace its submarine fleet, defence minister Jorge Taiana paid a visit to the Naval Group shipyard in Cherbourg to examine the construction process for the Scorpène-class submarine . Minister Taiana also visited Germany for a meeting with his ministerial counterpart, in order to explore the possibility of acquiring German-built submarines, either independently or in tandem with an interim acquisition of

2640-403: The deal include Logistic Services International, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins and Eagle Systems. These newer Orions will be up to the latest Orion standard, and provide Argentina with a much needed boost in anti-submarine and maritime surveillance missions. However, in the aftermath of the inauguration of Alberto Fernández as president in December 2019, the deal appeared to be in limbo with

2700-472: The embargo was lifted and the Lockheed L-188 Electras (civilian aircraft converted for maritime patrol ) were finally retired and replaced with similar P-3B Orions and civilian Beechcraft King Air Model 200 were locally converted to the MP variant. In 2000 the aircraft carrier ARA  Veinticinco de Mayo was decommissioned without replacement, although the navy maintains the air group of Super Étendard jets and S-2 Trackers that routinely operated from

2760-575: The end of 2022, the mooted submarine deal with Brazil had not yet been finalised and the process of refurbishment not yet begun. In 2021, one analyst noted that over the past thirty years the Argentine navy has lost many core capabilities, including its aircraft carrier (along with most of its fixed-wing combat aviation), submarines and area air defence vessels. Most of these seemed unlikely to be reconstituted. The Argentine navy has four main commands: High Seas Fleet, Submarine Force, Naval Aviation, and Naval Infantry (Marines). Additionally, on January 1 2022,

2820-416: The first time, the Argentine Navy (classified as major non-NATO ally ) interoperated with a United States Navy battle group when the destroyer ARA  Sarandí  (D-13) joined the USS  Enterprise Carrier Strike Group and Destroyer Squadron 18 as a part of Exercise Solid Step during their tour in the Mediterranean Sea . In 2010 the construction of four 1,800 ton offshore patrol ships

2880-457: The first upgraded P-3B had been projected for September 2023, that schedule might now face delays. In February 2023 it was reported that Argentina was negotiating with Norway to purchase three or four of its surplus P-3Cs. The agreement to purchase four aircraft was signed in October 2023. It had been hoped that the aircraft would be delivered in late 2023. However, by years end the aircraft had not been delivered due to an Argentine failure to make

2940-484: The force included: The most powerful ships at this time included the Italian-built Garibaldi and her sister ships: General Belgrano , Pueyrredón , and San Martín , each at over 6,000 tons. Three older ironclads, Almirante Brown , Independencia , and Libertad dated from the 1880s and early 1890s. The navy's ships were built primarily in Italy, Britain, France, and Spain, and were operated by over 600 officers and 7,760 seamen . These were supported by

3000-405: The idea of converting any additional Espora-class vessels to the offshore patrol role had been abandoned. It remained to be determined how the several envisaged new-acquisition projects would be funded. For instance, the proposed submarine acquisition from Brazil would require extensive refurbishment of the vessels prior to being ready for renewed operational service with the Argentine Navy. As of

3060-400: The main Argentine naval fleet consisted of modernised World War II era ships (one GUPPY -type submarine, one British-built Colossus -class carrier, a cruiser, and four destroyers), and newer vessels: two Type 42 destroyers, three French-built corvettes, and one German-built Type 209 submarine . This fleet was supported by several ELMA tankers and transports, as well as an ice breaker and

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3120-436: The main deck. Garibaldi also had six QF 4.7-inch (119 mm) , ten QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss and eight QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns to defend herself against torpedo boats . She was also equipped with four above-water 457 mm (18.0 in) torpedo tubes , two on each side. The ship's waterline armor belt had a maximum thickness of 5.9 inches (150 mm) amidships and tapered to 3.1 inches (79 mm) towards

3180-427: The prospective projects remained under evaluation. Foreign overfishing is a serious concern and, in 2020, the Argentine Navy captured at least two foreign ships allegedly illegally fishing in the South Atlantic. Foreign, mostly Chinese, illegal fishing in Argentine territorial waters has been estimated to cost Argentina between US$ 1 billion and $ 2.6 billion per year. In 2016, the Argentine Coast Guard chased and sank

3240-399: The required payment. In March 2024, it was reported that initial payments had been made. Delivery of the first aircraft took place in September 2024, with the remaining aircraft to follow in 2025. In 2020, the Argentine national government created an interministerial committee with the objective of reassuring national oceans' sovereignty. In 2020, the Ministry of Defence informed Congress of

3300-423: The strike aircraft and British submarines for the anti-submarine Sea King helicopters, while their Lockheed L-188 Electra and Fokker F-28 Fellowship transports reinforced the Port Stanley garrison and evacuated the wounded. The ARA  San Luis submarine also played a strategic role, nearly sinking the frigate HMS  Arrow on 10 May, although she scored no hits. The submarine ARA  Santa Fe , after

3360-480: The transaction of $ 78.03m to be carried out as part of a foreign military sale. It includes the delivery of related equipment and services. Argentina will receive four turboprop engines for the aircraft and an additional four turboprop engines. It will also receive communications and radar equipment, Infrared/Electro-optic equipment, and aviation life support systems. The US will provide spares plus repairs, aircraft depot maintenance, and logistical support. Contractors for

3420-438: Was announced, but never started. Instead, Argentina ultimately opted to acquire four Gowind-class offshore patrol vessels from France. The decision was motivated by the meeting between Argentine President Mauricio Macri and French President Emmanuel Macron at the annual World Economic Forum summit in Davos , Switzerland in 2018. In November 2018, Argentina confirmed the purchase of the patrol vessels. The purchase included

3480-471: Was created when the Navy first started using submarines in 1927. The Tactical Divers Group is under the submarine force command structure. However, as of 2020 there were no operational submarines in service. The Naval Aviation Command ( Spanish : Comando de Aviación Naval , abbreviated COAN ) is the naval aviation branch. Argentina is one of two South American countries to have operated two aircraft carriers. However, neither remain in service. During

3540-451: Was established on January 1, 2022 and brings together Argentine Army , Navy and Air Force assets to combat maritime crime and to control ocean and river areas under its jurisdiction. Its principal maritime assets are the navy's patrol vessels, including its Gowind-class offshore patrol vessels. Rank insignia consists of a variable number of gold-braid stripes worn on the sleeve cuffs or on shoulder-boards. Officers may be distinguished by

3600-423: Was fitted. The ship had a crew of 124, and could carry 84 civilian passengers, who could be replaced by 252 troops. The ship operated as a naval auxiliary vessel from 1981 to 1986 and served in the Falklands War as a troop transport as well as a hospital ship. It was involved in transporting troops to Leith Harbour prior to the Invasion of South Georgia . After the war it reverted as an Antarctic supply ship for

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