Cruise ships at dock, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Photo Credit: Rodolfo Pace

Army Recognition reports interaction between the US and Argentine Navies as part of Exercise Southern Seas 2024, being conducted as USS George Washington (CVN-73) transits from the East Coast to her new Homeport in Japan.

There is a particularly interesting note here,

“A central aspect of this evolving partnership is the establishment of an integrated naval base in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. This base is strategically important as it faces the Strait of Magellan and is close to Antarctica. The collaboration on this base is intended to enhance logistical capabilities for both countries and serve as a critical point for repair and resupply operations for commercial and military vessels. This move is part of a broader strategy to assert Argentina’s sovereign rights in Antarctica.”

This may suggest that the US is recognizing that the Southern Ocean and Antarctic may be an area of future conflict.

Aside from the obvious relevance of a new logistics base that US Coast Guard icebreakers may use for support of the US contingent in Antarctica, another Coast Guard asset, USCGC James, has been working with Argentina as well,

“Argentina has also agreed to joint naval training exercises with the U.S. Coast Guard to protect its fishing resources. This proposal includes allowing the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James to patrol Argentine waters, a move that has sparked debate within the Argentine Congress regarding national sovereignty and the presence of foreign military forces​​.”