U.S. Military Support to Argentina Submarine Search

The United States has begun to draw down operations assisting the search for the Argentine submarine A.R.A. San Juan in the South Atlantic after completing its support to requests by the government of Argentina. At its height, U.S. contributions to the search and rescue effort included three advanced aircraft, over 200 search and rescue personnel, four submersibles, one specialized underwater rescue unit, one ship, and more than 400 sonar buoys dropped in support of the operation.

e commander of U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson, and Argentine Armed Forces Joint Command Chief Lt. Gen. Juan Martín Paleo, meet to discuss security cooperation.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, meets with Argentine Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana to discuss regional security and cooperation.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, speaks at a Women, Peace and Security Southern Cone Policy Implementation Seminar.
he commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, poses for a photo at a Women, Peace and Security Southern Cone Policy Implementation Seminar.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, meets with Chilean Minister of Defense Maya Fernández Allende to discuss security cooperation.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, speaks during a ceremony where the United States donated medical equipment to the Argentine humanitarian agency, the White Helmets.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, is shown medical equipment that was donated by the United States to the Argentine humanitarian agency, the White Helmets.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, meets with Argentine Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana to discuss regional security and cooperation.
he commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, and Argentine Armed Forces Joint Command Chief Lt. Gen. Juan Martín Paleo, arrive at the Argentine Ministry of Defense.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, and Argentine Armed Forces Joint Command Chief Lt. Gen. Juan Martín Paleo, arrive at the Argentine Ministry of Defense.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, and Argentine Armed Forces Joint Command Chief Lt. Gen. Juan Martín Paleo, arrive at the Argentine Ministry of Defense.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, meets with Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to discuss bilateral cooperation.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, arrives in Argentina.
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, arrives in Argentina.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller took part as the U.S. donated search and rescue equipment to Argentina to bolster the nation’s civil defense capabilities.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, and Argentine Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi, pose for a photo with other senior leaders in front of three mobile hospitals donated by the United States to Argentina to support the nation’s COVID-19 response.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, and Argentine Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi, tour one of three mobile hospitals donated by the United States to Argentina.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, and Argentine Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi, pose for a photo with other senior leaders following a bilateral meeting to discuss security cooperation.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, and Argentine Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi pose for a photo with other senior leaders following a bilateral meeting to discuss security cooperation.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, meets with Argentine Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi, Chief of Defense Gen. Juan Martin Paleo and other top defense leaders to discuss security cooperation.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, and Argentine Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi depart the Libertador Building following a bilateral meeting with senior defense leaders to discuss security cooperation.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, at a Uruguayan military facility prior to a briefing on helicopter parts and equipment donated by the United States to the Uruguayan military.
.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, is briefed on helicopter parts and equipment donated by the United States to the Uruguayan military.
.S. Southern Command’s Civilian Deputy to the Commander, Amb. Jean Manes, speaks during a roundtable discussion with Uruguayan military personnel who have received training in the United States.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, speaks during a roundtable discussion with Uruguayan military personnel who have received training in the United States.
U.S. Southern Command’s commander, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, speaks with Uruguayan Minister of National Defense Javier Garcia.
Navy Adm. Craig Faller meets with Argentine Minister of Defence Oscar Aguad.
Navy Adm. Craig Faller meets with Argentine Minister of Defence Oscar Aguad
Navy Adm. Craig Faller, meets with Argentine Chief of Defense Gen. Bari Del Valle Sosa
Navy Adm. Craig Faller, visits the CAECOPAZ Argentine peacekeeping training facility.
Latest Imagery from Argentina Sub Support

Overview of U.S. Military Support

Updated Dec. 27, 2017

Recent Support

(See US Adjusts Support to ARA San Juan Search Operations Press Release)

R/V Atlantis, an oceanographic research ship under charter with the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research, took part in the search. The ship brought advanced precision navigation, seafloor mapping sonar and satellite communications to the effort.

The U.S. Navy deployed the Cable operated Unmanned Recovery Vehicle (CURV) 21 to support search efforts onboard R/V Atlantis. The CURV-21 is a 6,400-pound Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that is designed to meet the U.S. Navy's deep ocean salvage requirements down to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet of seawater.


Previous Support

(See Transition to Search and Recovery Press Release)

From Nov. 17 - 30, two U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft assisted in search efforts. The P-8A is the Navy’s newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and is configured with state-of-the-art sensors and communications equipment, allowing it to support a wide range of missions over large bodies of water, including sub-surface search-and-rescue operations.

From Nov. 18 - 30, two independent rescue assets from URC were deployed to assist:

  • The Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and underwater intervention Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The SRC is a McCann rescue chamber designed during World War II and still used today. SRC can rescue up to six persons at a time and reach a bottomed submarine at depths of 850 feet.
  • The Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) and supporting equipment. The PRM can submerge up to 2,000 feet for docking and mating, with a submarine settled on the ocean floor up to 45-degree angle in both pitch and roll. The PRM can rescue up to 16 personnel at a time.

The U.S. Navy also deployed unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) to join in the search. The equipment consisted of one Bluefin 12D (Deep) UUV and three Iver 580 UUVs, which are operated by the U.S. Navy’s recently-established Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron 1, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

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