The decision of the current Argentine administration to strengthen ties with the United States will likely be reflected in an increase in Defense exchanges. This not only includes the analysis of offers and acquisition of equipment, such as F-16A/B MLU fighters or Stryker wheeled armored combat vehicles, but may also result in greater interaction between the Armed Forces of both countries, including special operations units.
As seen throughout 2023, the U.S. Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) maintained significant activity in South America, whether participating in bilateral exercises, exchanges, or as part of multinational activities like UNITAS.
Brazil, Chile, and Peru hosted significant special operations exercises, such as CORE 2023, Estrella Austral 2023, and Resolute Sentinel 23, respectively. In the case of Colombia, the UNITAS LXIV exercise saw the presence of several Special Operations contingents, including a U.S. Navy SEAL squadron. Additionally, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Peru also hosted detachments of U.S. Green Berets for training, while the U.S. conducted exchanges with South American special units on its own territory.
Among the early signs indicating a closer relationship between Argentina and the U.S. are the visit of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington CVN73 in May and the combined training planned with the U.S. Coast Guard cutter James WMSL 754 in April. It can also be expected that the Argentine Navy will resume its participation in the multinational exercise UNITAS LXV, scheduled to take place this year in Chile.
One of the recent participations of Argentine special operations elements in multinational exercises was in the 2022 edition of PANAMAX, which took place in the U.S. The planning and command exercise, coordinated and executed by the U.S. Southern Command, aims to strengthen and improve interaction among participating countries to provide long-term security for the Panama Canal and the Western Hemisphere.
Although there have been no officially disclosed initiatives to launch combined training between Argentine and U.S. special operations units at the moment, it should not be overlooked that such activities require a prior planning process that takes several months in the case of bilateral or multinational exercises.
However, in the short term, the possibility of re-establishing exchanges could arise, either with the presence of reduced contingents, locally or in the U.S., or with Argentine special operations elements joining activities planned for 2024 to be held in a country in the region.
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