The US Navy and the Argentine Navy conducted a bilateral maritime engagement as part of US Naval Forces Southern Command (USNAVSOUTH)/US Fourth Fleet’s Southern Seas 2026 deployment in the Atlantic Ocean from April 28 to May 1.
The engagement, focused on increasing interoperability between the two navies, included participation by Argentine Navy Almirante Brown-class destroyers ARA La Argentina and ARA Sarandi, the Espora-class corvettes ARA Rosales and ARA Robinson, the Gowind-class offshore patrol vessels ARA Piedrabuena and ARA Contraalmirante Cordero, the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley, and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
Aircraft involved also included an Argentine P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft and SH-3 Sea King and AS550 Fennec helicopters, and US Navy MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawk helicopters assigned to Carrier Air Wing 17.
Training conducted included subject matter expert exchanges, communications drills, a live-fire gunnery exercise, manoeuvring in formation, and air defence exercises.
Southern Seas 2026 marks the 11th iteration of the exercise, launched in 2007.
During the deployment, the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is scheduled to conduct passing exercises and operations at sea with partner nation maritime forces as the ships circumnavigate the continent of South America.
