Ratifying its commitment to international security and reinforcing its alliance with the United States and democratic countries in the region, Argentina is joining the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), whose mission is to patrol the world’s most important trade routes.
“The Argentine Navy (ARA) has proudly served for more than 200 years,” U.S. Navy Vice Admiral George Wikoff, commander of the CMF, said in a statement welcoming the South American country as the 46th member of the world’s largest maritime security partnership. While the announcement was made in September, Argentina officially joins the CMF as of 2025.
The alliance is now comprised of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
“Argentina develops its alliances with those nations that have a series of common values,” Juan Battaleme, secretary of International Affairs for Defense of Argentina’s Ministry of Defense told Diálogo. “The country is working on a multilateral security scheme, structured not only by its relationship with the United States, but with related interests that have to do with current geopolitics, for example in the protection of naval lines of communication.”
This integration reinforces the stability of trade routes that are key for exports, guaranteeing the flow of Argentine products to international markets, and improving competitiveness by reducing logistics costs and ensuring safe trade routes.
“Participation will be staggered, as we understand the operational environment, as the personnel we send observe and understand the dynamics, and then know what Argentina can contribute and the commitments that can be assumed,” Battaleme said.
The CMF consists of a command team and five combined working groups (CTFs). These working groups focus on defeating terrorism, preventing piracy, fostering regional cooperation, and promoting a secure maritime environment. This naval partnership upholds the rules-based international order by supporting security and stability in 3.2 million square miles of water, covering some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
As a first step, the Argentine Navy is sending an officer and a noncommissioned officer to CTF 150, the group responsible for maritime security and training, Battaleme said. “Later, more troops can be sent to the force. In the future, [we] will be able to contribute some aircraft, when Argentina completes its acquisition of four Lockheed Martin P3 Orion scout planes.”
The Argentine Navy received in September the first of four P3 aircraft to be used for maritime control, acquired from Norway with the support of the U.S. government.
In June 2024, the navies of Argentina and the United States carried out exercise Gringo-Gaucho II in Argentine waters to enhance the level of training and coordinate joint operations, and as a testament to the friendship and cooperation ties between both institutions. The exercise involved aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
This type of naval exercise supports the Argentine military training with the United States and countries of the region. “Now that Argentina is present in the CMF, it’s significant to have exchanges with the United States, Europe, and Latin American countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, and Colombia, which are also involved in the multinational force,” Battaleme said.
“There is a space where our troops can train, update doctrine, and understand the connections that Argentina has with other different geographical areas, such as the Mediterranean or the Red Sea,” Battaleme added.
Military ties between Argentina and the United States remain robust. In early December, 62 cadets from the South American nation’s Military Aviation School visited the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where they received training in various skills, including about F-35 Lightning II fighter planes, one of the most powerful and modern fighter planes in the world.
Argentina’s entry into the CMF reaffirms the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries, based on shared interests, including regional stability, security, and peace in the hemisphere.
“The integration to the force will take place gradually, as it has to be built within the process of this new challenge that my country took on,” Battaleme said. “This initiative is to have a more global and less local look, with the idea of having a Navy that can interact beyond its coasts with partner countries. It must be emphasized that integrating this force is a central geopolitical focus, and therefore an extremely important experience for Argentina.”
