Argentina and the United States have bolstered relations in recent months on several fronts, including military cooperation, diplomacy, as well as scientific and commercial ties.
“Security and defense ties between Argentina and the United States have clearly been strengthened,” Juan Belikow, defense expert and professor of International Relations at the University of Buenos Aires, told Diálogo.
In the security field, Belikow mentions cooperation in the fight against organized crime and terrorism, coordination in cyber defense, and financial information exchange. In terms of defense, the expert points to military equipment purchases and combined military exercises.
One such example is the purchase of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark with U.S. support. The acquisition was followed by a $560 million plus sustainment package with the United States.
In December 2024, Argentine Minister of Defense Luis Petri and former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Marc Stanley signed the first Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the F-16 sustainment program. The signing represents a “historic agreement” and “a milestone in the weapons system,” the Argentine government said in a statement.
“This agreement with the United States will allow the Argentine Air Force to not only have the F-16 fighters acquired from Denmark, but also advanced technology in communications, data transmission, and electronic warfare, as well as access to state-of-the-art equipment and weaponry,” the statement said. The agreement also ensures integrated logistics support and training for pilots and technical personnel, the Argentine government said.
Transnational crime
In November 2024, Argentina and the United States signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen the fight against transnational crime, allowing security forces of both countries to share experiences and improve security cooperation.
“We have signed a historic agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Argentina, at the forefront, will have access to all U.S. databases, following the money trail of terrorists, drug traffickers, corrupt officials, and human traffickers,” Argentine Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich said via X. “Moreover, for the first time, an officer from our Gendarmerie will participate in the El Dorado Task Force of the Department of Homeland Security in New York,” Bullrich added.
Argentina and the United States also consolidated their joint efforts in the fight against the illicit trafficking of drugs and their chemical precursors. In October 2024, senior officials from both countries met at the Palacio San Martín, the headquarters of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, to jointly address the challenges of synthetic drug trafficking and the diversion of precursor chemicals.
“Authorities agreed on the enormous challenge and the serious threat illicit traffic in synthetic drugs poses, as well as on the joint efforts that are necessary to counteract the illicit distribution of this type of drugs,” the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which supported the event, said in statement.
The meeting took place within the framework of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, an effort that Argentina supports, along with 160 other countries and 15 international organizations. “The importance of this initiative lies in highlighting that the only way to counter this scourge is by joining forces at the multilateral, regional, and bilateral levels,” UNODC said.
More cooperation in 2025
Belikow anticipates that bilateral defense relations will remain strong throughout 2025. “There will be more military exercises. It is also hoped that Argentina’s presence in Joint Interagency Task Force South will increase and that there will be more joint exercises with Paraguay and other countries more closely linked to the United States,” Belikow said.
The expert also believes that there will be more bilateral interaction on issues related to Antarctica, the border with Bolivia (drug trafficking) and the Triple Border (organized crime). “Likewise, it is hoped that Argentina will once again have a greater presence with students at U.S. war colleges,” Belikow concluded.
