Navy comparison: 
Argentina vs 
Chile
Argentina operates a fleet of 44 ships compared to 76 for Chile. Of these, 42 and 75 are in active service respectively.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Argentina
Chile
Bars: weighted contribution to the SEAS Index (hulls × category weight × size, era and propulsion factors, minor vessels capped at 30 % of the combatant points; the air-wing, sustainment, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active hulls at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
| Argentina | Chile | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Argentine Navy | Chilean Navy | |
| Total ships | 44 | 76 | 🇨🇱 1.7× |
| Active ships | 42 | 75 | 🇨🇱 1.8× |
| Submarines | 0 | 4 | 🇨🇱 |
| Principal surface combatants | 3 | 8 | 🇨🇱 2.7× |
| Amphibious ships | 1 | 4 | 🇨🇱 4.0× |
Show full breakdown · 4 more rowsHide the 4 extra rows
| Corvettes | 6 | 0 | 🇦🇷 |
| Patrol boats | 14 | 22 | 🇨🇱 1.6× |
| Coastal boats | 0 | 19 | 🇨🇱 |
| Auxiliaries | 18 | 18 | — |
Backbone classes one per tier held
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Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: Chile
Chile holds a clear and broad advantage over Argentina at sea, fielding four submarines and eight frigates against an Argentine surface force of three ageing Almirante Brown-class destroyers and six Espora-class corvettes, with no submarine capability in service. The decisive factors are Chile's undersea arm, its larger and more modern principal surface combatant force, and the sustainment and readiness problems that have long constrained Argentine fleet availability.
Domain by domain
Submarines
Edge: Chile
🇦🇷 ArgentinaNo submarines in service. Argentina's undersea arm has been dormant since the loss of its last operational boat, leaving no organic subsurface strike, covert surveillance or sea-denial capability.
🇨🇱 ChileFour boats, built around two Scorpène-class submarines plus older German-origin hulls, giving Chile a credible sea-denial and covert reconnaissance capability across the South Pacific approaches.
Surface combatants
Edge: Chile
🇦🇷 ArgentinaThree Almirante Brown-class (MEKO 360) destroyers and six Espora-class (MEKO 140) corvettes, all 1980s-era German designs; capable hulls but dated sensors and weapons, with availability limited by deep-maintenance backlogs.
🇨🇱 ChileEight frigates: three ex-Royal Navy Duke-class (Type 23), two Karel Doorman-class and two Oliver Hazard Perry-class, supported by 22 patrol boats including OPV-80s. Broader ASW and area air-defense competence.
Amphibious & expeditionary
Edge: Chile
🇦🇷 ArgentinaA single amphibious vessel and one cargo ship; lift is essentially limited to unit-level movement and disaster response rather than opposed landing or sustained expeditionary operations.
🇨🇱 ChileFour amphibious units, including two BATRAL-class landing ships, backed by 13 support vessels — modest by global standards but sufficient for battalion-scale lift along a long archipelagic coast.
Coastal & mine warfare
Edge: Chile
🇦🇷 ArgentinaFourteen patrol boats across Baradero, Gowind, Intrépida and Punta Mogotes classes, oriented to EEZ policing and fisheries protection over the South Atlantic shelf; no dedicated coastal boat force on file.
🇨🇱 ChileTwenty-two patrol boats plus 19 coastal boats, led by 16 Protector-class and six Taitao and Type 44 units — a dense inshore presence suited to the fjords and channels of the southern littoral.
Bases & reach
Edge: Chile
🇦🇷 ArgentinaThree bases on file — Puerto Belgrano, Mar del Plata and Ushuaia — covering the South Atlantic seaboard and Beagle Channel approaches, with Antarctic reach via the icebreaker Almirante Irízar.
🇨🇱 ChileA dispersed base network along roughly 4,000 km of Pacific coast into the Magellan region, with 13 support ships underwriting patrol persistence and Antarctic and Pacific deployments.
Wildcards
- Sustainment and funding Argentine readiness has been constrained for years by budget pressure and deferred deep maintenance, which reduces the number of hulls actually available at sea below the 42 active units on file.
- Two oceans, one fleet Chile operates along a long Pacific seaboard reaching into the Magellan approaches; Argentina faces the South Atlantic. Each fleet is optimized for its own geography, and neither transfers easily to the other's theater.
- Interoperability and access Chile's ex-Royal Navy, Dutch and US-origin hulls and Scorpène boats sustain wide Western training and logistics ties, including regular multinational exercise participation, easing spares access and reinforcing crew standards.
Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more naval ships, Argentina or Chile?
Chile has a larger navy with 76 ships compared to Argentina's 44 ships.
Which navy has more submarines, Argentina or Chile?
Chile operates more submarines with 4 compared to Argentina's 2.
Which navy has more destroyers, Argentina or Chile?
Argentina operates 3 destroyers compared to Chile's 0.
Which navy has more frigates, Argentina or Chile?
Chile operates 8 frigates compared to Argentina's 0.
How do the Argentina and Chile navies compare in size?
Chile's navy is 1.7 times larger than Argentina's in terms of total ships (76 vs 44).