Argentine Navy 🇦🇷

Overview

The Argentine Navy is a force shaped by a history of regional power projection, now constrained by decades of underinvestment and the after-effects of the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War. Its fleet is an aging and diminished force, centered on a core of German-built MEKO-class destroyers and corvettes from the 1980s. Critically, the navy has lost several key capabilities, including its aircraft carrier, long-range air defense destroyers, and, most notably, a credible submarine force, with its German-built submarines currently inactive. This has fundamentally reduced its combat power compared to regional navies.

The navy's maritime strategy has pivoted from its former blue-water ambitions to the more immediate task of resource protection and maritime security within its vast economic zone. This is underscored by the creation of a Joint Maritime Command focused on controlling maritime and riverine spaces and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. To support this mission, the navy is prioritizing maritime patrol capabilities. This includes the acquisition of four French-built Gowind-class offshore patrol vessels and the incorporation of P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft to enhance long-range surveillance over the South Atlantic.

Shipbuilding and modernization programs are ambitious but face significant financial hurdles. Plans are in place to replace aging destroyers with new multi-purpose frigates, restore the submarine fleet, and acquire a new amphibious vessel. There is also a renewed emphasis on using local shipyards, such as Tandanor and Río Santiago, for the modernization of the existing MEKO corvettes and the construction of new support vessels. However, most of these large-scale acquisition projects are contingent on securing external financing.

The operational reach of the Argentine Navy is currently limited, primarily focused on its national waters. While historically it has participated in international operations, the material state of its main combatants restricts its ability to project sustained power far from its shores. The new patrol vessels and aircraft enhance its surveillance reach, but a return to a significant blue-water presence would require a substantial and sustained recapitalization of its fleet.

Key facts

Official Name	Argentine Navy
Country	🇦🇷 Argentina
World rank	#45
Ships in service	43 (as of 2025)
Total ships	46
Naval ensign

Number of active ships by category

Ship category	Active
Support ships	18
Patrol boats	14
Corvettes	6
Destroyers	3
Submarines	2
Other ships	1
Cargo ships	1
Amphibious ships	1

Compare this Navy

🇦🇷 Argentina vs

Detailed inventory of Argentine Navy

Amphibious ships

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Amphibious cargo ship	Modified Costa Sur	Bahía San Blas	B-4	Active	1978

Cargo ships

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Cargo ship	Costa Sur	Canal Beagle	B-3	Active	1978

Corvettes

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Corvette	Espora	Espora	P-41	Active	1985
	Espora	Rosales	P-42	Active	1986
	Espora	Spiro	P-43	Active	1987
	Espora	Parker	P-44	Active	1990
	Espora	Robinson	P-45	Active	2001
	Espora	Gómez Roca	P-46	Active	2004

Destroyers

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Destroyer	Almirante Brown	Almirante Brown	D-10	Active	1983
	Almirante Brown	La Argentina	D-11	Active	1983
	Almirante Brown	Sarandí	D-13	Active	1984

Other ships

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Yacht	Fortuna	Fortuna III		Active	2004

Patrol boats

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Patrol boat	Baradero	Baradero	P-61	Active	1978
	Baradero	Barranqueras	P-62	Active	1978
	Baradero	Clorinda	P-63	Active	1978
	Baradero	Concepción del Uruguay	P-64	Active	1978
Offshore patrol vessel	Gowind	Bouchard	P-51	Active	2019
	Gowind	Piedrabuena	P-52	Active	2021
	Gowind	Almirante Storni	P-53	Active	2021
	Gowind	Bartolomé Cordero	P-54	Active	2022
Fast attack craft	Intrépida	Intrépida	P-85	Active	1974
	Intrépida	Indómita	P-86	Active	1974
Offshore patrol vessel	Murature	King	P-21	Active	1946
Patrol boat	Punta Mogotes	Punta Mogotes	P-65	Active	2000
	Punta Mogotes	Río Santiago	P-66	Active	2000
	Zurubí	Zurubí	P-55	Active	1939

Submarines

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Submarine	Salta	Salta	S-31	Reserve	1973
	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	S-41	Reserve	1984

Support ships

Type	Class	Ship Name	Hull Number	Status	Year
Tug	Abnaki	Francisco de Gurruchaga	A-3	Active	1975
Icebreaker	Almirante Irízar	ARA Almirante Irízar	Q-5	Active	1978
Survey vessel	Austral	Austral	Q-21	Active	2015
Tanker	Durance	Patagonia	B-1	Active	2000
Training ship	LICA	Ciudad de Ensenada		Active	2024
	LICA	Ciudad de Berisso		Active	2024
	Libertad	Libertad	Q-2	Active	1963
	Luisito	Luisito	Q-51	Active	1983
Aviso	Neftegaz	Puerto Argentino	A-21	Active	2015
	Neftegaz	Estrecho San Carlos	A-22	Active	2015
	Neftegaz	Bahía Agradable	A-23	Active	2015
	Neftegaz	Islas Malvinas	A-24	Active	2015
Survey vessel	Puerto Deseado	Puerto Deseado	Q-20	Active	1978
Coastal buoy tender	Red	Ciudad de Zárate	Q-61	Active	2000
	Red	Ciudad de Rosario	Q-62	Active	2000
	Red	Punta Alta	Q-63	Active	2000
Aviso	Teniente Olivieri	Teniente Olivieri	A-2	Active	1987
Survey vessel	Comodoro Rivadavia	Comodoro Rivadavia	Q-11	Non Commissioned	1974

Wikipedia and other open sources.