MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine, Chilean navies analyze Antarctic season

Beginning Monday and for two days, Patagonia regional commanders of the Chilean and Argentine navies will evaluate in Puerto Williams the performance of this summer's Combined Naval Antarctic patrolling.

The Chilean side will be headed by Rear Admiral Edmundo Gonzalez commander of the III Naval Zone and Argentina will be represented by Austral Naval Area commander Guillermo Jose Estevez and his group.

The evaluation process will include the four segments of this season's patrolling, Alfa, Bravo, Charlie and Delta which were accomplished alternatively by a Chilean and an Argentine vessel.

In spite of the end of the season, a vessel remains in full duty for any Antarctic emergency or logistics support to Antarctic exploration vessels.

The patrolling this summer was done by the Argentine vessel "Suboficial Castrillo" and the Chilean icebreaker "Almirante Viel", plus the support of the heavy duty Chilean tug, "Lautaro".

The combined Argentine Chilean Naval Antarctic Patrol was began in 1998 as a confidence building decision, with the purpose of safeguarding human lives, controlling and combating environmental contamination and mutual support in emergency situations in Antarctica.