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Armada Argentina - Argentine Navy - Organizatino

The operational organization of the Service is based on two concepts: the Readiness Commands and the Naval Areas, both reporting to the Naval Operations Command. Readiness Commands manage and prepare the forces and units assigned, which are formed by ships, submarines, aircraft and Marine Corps units, according to the Navy's plans and policies. Their objective is to provide and sustain adequate and timely resources required for Naval Operations Training and the execution of the Naval Operations performed by the Navy.

Naval Areas are responsible for providing logistical support, through their bases, to operational units based in their jurisdiction or to units of any task organization carrying out operations in their area of responsibility. Some of them have permanently assigned resources that are appropriate for the area, such as fast boats, patrol boats, mine hunters and patrol ships, but when specific situations come up within a given Area, other operational units are assigned accordingly. In addition, each Naval Area has different responsibilities in accordance with the specific areas where they exercise their jurisdiction.

The Surface Fleet Command, located at Puerto Belgrano. Four ship divisions form the Surface Fleet, which is organized by ship types to facilitate training and maintenance control.

• The Amphibious Naval Command had two Type-42 destroyers, one transport ship, general support ships and a Naval Beach Detachment (Sea Bees). In 2000, the Type-42 Hercules was reactivated and transferred to the ASMAR Shipyard in Talcahuano, Chile for conversion to a "fast-attack transport". The other unit of this class has been inactive in reserve for some time The Amphibious Naval Command is responsible for planning and executing amphibious operations and air defense tasks. The Argentine Navy was to receive two Ouragan LSDs that had been pensioned-off from the French Navy as part of an agreement concluded between Paris and Buenos Aires in 2005. The transfers were to have been completed in 2006, but a row over asbestos levels in the ship caused the deal to flounder. The problem focused on the levels of the hazardous material on the ships that contravened Argentine legislation and has thus left the two ships at their home port of Brest from where they are expected to be sold as scrap. The result is that the Argentine Navy can still be expected at some point in the future to have a requirement for two amphibious support ships to replace or augment the ARA Hercules marine command/transport vessels and the ARA Bahia San Blas assault ship.
• The First Corvette Division Command has three A-69 corvettes for anti-submarine defense, sea control, ecology and electronic warfare.
• The Second Corvette Division has four MEKO 140 corvettes for anti-submarine defense, sea control, ecology and electronic warfare.
• The Second Destroyer Division has four MEKO 360 destroyers for anti-surface and anti-submarine actions and anti-missile defense.

Plans existed to upgrade the MEKO 140 (Espora) class frigates with the Exocet MM 40 from the MEKO 360 (Almirante Brown) class destroyers, all of which required half-life refits. However, the country's financial crisis in the New Year of 2002 made work on surface warships extremely unlikely in the near future.

The Submarine Force has two TR 1700 submarines, one IKL 209 submarine and a rescue ship. The Submarine Force Command, based in Mar del Plata, comprises the following:

• Submarine Units with anti-surface and anti-submarine capability, capable of carrying Tactical Divers (Seals) and Amphibious Commands
• Tactical Divers Group (Seals)
• Submarine Search and Rescue Groups
• The Mar del Plata Naval Base, providing logistical support to the Submarine Force.

Naval Areas are responsible for providing logistical support, through their bases, to operational units based in their jurisdiction or to units of any task organization carrying Out operations in their area of responsibility. Some of them have permanently assigned resources that are appropriate for the area, such as fast boats, patrol boats, mine hunters and patrol ships, but when specific situations come up within a given Area, other operational units are assigned accordingly. In addition, each Naval Area has different responsibilities in accordance with the specific areas where they exercise their jurisdiction.

On the other hand, the Operational Analysis, Weapons and Electronic Warfare, Communications, Rescue and QBN Defense, Fishery Issues and Search and Rescue Services provide specialized complementary activities in essential operations performing areas.

In particular, through the National Sea SAR Agency the Navy exercises its legal powers as provided for in Act 22445 as regards safeguarding human life at sea according to the international commitments undertaken by the country under the Hamburg Treaty in the frame of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The South Atlantic Maritime Area (AMAS) was created by a recommendation of the Inter American Committee for Sea Traffic Defense at a meeting held in Buenos Aires in 1965. This area comprises the seacoasts of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. The members of this organization are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. AMAS is represented by a coordinator that becomes the Area Commander in wartime. The first South Atlantic Maritime Area Coordinator (CAMAS) was formally designated in Bueno Aires in August 1967. In peacetime, the Camas's functions are performed on a rotating basis by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

Act No. 19922 is the instrument establishing the mission and functions of the Naval Hydrography Service, whose mandate is to "provide nautical security to the Nation". To this effect, the Service maintains its assistance systems updated in accordance with technological advances in the area and with the international agreements signed by the country.