MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

More Argentine naval presence in South Atlantic

Argentina is planning to significantly increase its naval presence in the South Atlantic to consolidate “open spaces” and protect fisheries thus preparing for “problems in the future”, said Argentine Defence Minister José Pampuro.

"We are re-deploying strategically the Argentine Armed Forces, considering them almost exclusively as a defence force", Mr. Pampuro is quoted in an extensive interview published this Wednesday in Buenos Aires city daily La Nación.

This defensive redeployment means "protecting territory, consolidating some areas that can be described as open spaces, --a growing concept among the world's main powers geo-strategy--, which in our country is closely linked to Patagonia".

With this in mind the Argentine Navy will be expanding to the South, "intensifying its presence in the Austral Sea (South Atlantic), fisheries protection, building new ports in Patagonia, in Santa Cruz and Chubut", indicated Mr. Pampuro underlining that "many of the future problems will be linked to the development of the Austral Sea and the Navy is already looking that way, and this we openly support politically".

The Defence Minister said that Air Force tasks will be marked by a strong "mobility capability" both in interception and transport of troops, supplies and logistic support.

The Argentine Army will consolidate its traditional strategy of occupying open spaces particularly in the south of the country to ensure protection of "water resources which will become the centre of future conflicts", pointed out Mr. Pampuro.

"We have two basic concepts for land forces, one static which means occupying certain isolated and distant areas of Argentina, and another highly dynamic with rapid deployment units, extremely advanced technically seated in Cordoba and Campo de Mayo (Buenos Aires)". As to relations with neighbouring countries Mr. Pampuro ratified that Argentina's defence policy "bets strongly in integration with Brazil and Chile", through "joint exercises, information and production exchanges". "With Brazil, we will be signing agreements on airspace and hydrogen energy development programs", plus installing a joint system of mobile radars along Argentina's northern border in collaboration with the Air Force. "Defence issues with Chile are doing very well", said Mr. Pampuro revealing that Navy commanders from both countries will be meeting "to explore the possibility of jointly working in the development and construction of frigates".

Regarding other announcements Mr. Pampuro said the Argentine Armed Forces will have an internal Human Rights Office, directly linked to the Human Rights Secretary "where complaints of this nature can be filed", and definitively discarded any "military" participation in internal security affairs, in spite of the crime wave shocking the country.

"At the most we could consider logistics support" on specific requests from governors concluded Argentina's Defence Minister.