Argentina Military

Argentina is a country located in South America. It has a population of over 44 million people and its capital city is Buenos Aires. Argentina has one of the largest militaries in South America, with an estimated personnel strength of around 80,000 personnel. The Army includes around 50,000 personnel while the Air Force consists of around 20,000 personnel. The Navy operates a number of vessels for patrol purposes as well as providing support for international peacekeeping missions. In addition to these forces there are also several paramilitary forces such as the National Gendarmerie which are responsible for law enforcement activities within its borders. The Argentine Armed Forces also maintains a presence in Antarctica to protect scientific research and exploration activities in the region. See naturegnosis to learn more about the country of Argentina.

Defense

The defense has been reduced in size and partly modernized and (2006) amounts to about 70,000 men enlisted (conscripted soldiers expired in 1996). It is organized in an army of about 40,000 men with three army corps of eleven brigades. A strategic reserve is formed by mobile brigades including the airborne. The Navy comprises about 17,500 men with three submarines, 14 fighters and frigates, 16 patrol boats, a naval aircraft with about eleven older fighter aircraft and five naval infantry battalions. The Air Force comprises 12,000 men with approximately 110 fighter aircraft and 15 armed helicopters. No trained reserves exist anymore.

The material is semi-modern and of western and indigenous origin. Semi-military security forces amount to 31,000 men. Defense costs have decreased from 3.8 to 1.0% of GDP in 1985-2006. Argentina participates in peacekeeping efforts in Cyprus and Haiti. To see related acronyms about this country, please check ABBREVIATIONFINDER where you can see that ARG stands for Argentina.

Argentina Army

Argentina’s defense overview

Since 1995, military service in Argentina has been voluntary. The total force figures for Argentina’s armed forces are 74,200 active personnel (2018, IISS). In addition, 31 250 semi-military, including 18 000 in the gendarmerie and 13 250 in the coast guard.

Army

The army has a staff of 42,800 active personnel. Material comprising 231 tanks of the type TAM, 117 light tanks (Kürassier and variants thereof), 232 armored vehicles, 278 armored personnel carriers, three armored fighters, and 42 self-propelled artillery. In addition, the Army has heavy artillery, short range air defense missiles, light air defense artillery, 14 light transport aircraft, five T-41 Mescalero training aircraft, and 72 helicopters.

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Air Force

The Air Force has a workforce of 12,900 active personnel. Materials include 52 attack aircraft (22 A-4 Skyhawk and 30 IA-58 Pucará), one ELINT aircraft, two tankers, 27 transport aircraft, 59 training aircraft (including 20 AT-63 Pampa, which can also be used as light attack aircraft), and 48 helicopters. In addition, the Air Force has light air defense artillery.

The Navy

The Navy has a workforce of 18,500 active personnel, including 2,500 Marines. The fleet includes two tactical submarines, one fighter, ten frigates, three corvettes, 13 patrol vessels, six landing craft and 18 auxiliary vessels. Naval Air Force has two fighter aircraft of type Super Étendard, one light attack aircraft, seven maritime patrol and antiubåtfly seven light transport aircraft, ten trainers and ten helicopters.

Coastguard

The Coast Guard has a staff of 13 250 active personnel, 69 patrol vessels, 11 auxiliary vessels, 9 aircraft and 13 helicopters.

International operations

Argentina participated in 2018 in the UN operation in Cyprus (UNFICYP) with 244 personnel, and with observers in the UN operations in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), in the Middle East (UNTSO), and in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

Country data

Area: 2,780,400 km2 (world rank: 8)

Residents: 44,271,000

Population density: 16 per km2 (as of 2017, world rank: 32)

Capital: Buenos Aires

Official languages: Spanish

Gross domestic product: 637.6 billion US $; real growth: 2.9%

Gross national product (GNP, per resident and year): 13,040 US$

Currency: 1 Argentin. Peso (arg $) = 100 Centavos

Embassy

Kleiststr. 23
26, 10787 Berlin
Telephone 030 2266890,
Fax 030 2291400
www.ealem.mrecic.gov.ar

Government
Head of State: Mauricio MacriMarta Gabriela Michetti, Head of Government: Marcos Pena, Exterior: Jorge Marcelo Faurie

National holiday: 25.5. (Day of the Revolution of 1810)

Administrative structure
23 provinces and 1 autonomous city (Buenos Aires)

State and form of government
Constitution of 1853
Presidential Federal Republic
Parliament (Congreso): House of Representatives (Cámara de Diputados) with 257 members elected for 4 years, partial election all 2 y.; Senate (Senado) with 72 indirectly elected members for 6 years, partial election every 2 years
Direct election of the head of state every 4 years (one re-election)
Suffrage from 16 years, compulsory voting from 18-70 years.

Population of: Argentines, last census 2010: 40,117,096 pop.
Mainly of European origin: 36% Italian, 29% Spanish, 5% European-indigenous, 2-3% German origin, 1.6% indigenous (Mapuche, Kolla, Toba, Wichí, Diaguita, Guaraní etc.)

Cities (with population): (Status 2017, all A) Buenos Aires 14.879.100, Córdoba 1.587.200, Rosario 1.322.500, Mendoza 1.032.800, San Miguel de Tucumán 883.600, La Plata 840.100, Salta 626.600, Mar del Plata 620.400, Santa Fé 531.300, San Juan 503,200, Resistencia 424,500, Santiago del Estero 393,000, Neuquén 386,800, Corrientes 384,900, Posadas 353,100

Religions: 71% Catholics, 15% Protestants, 3% Evangelicals; Minorities of Jews and Muslims; 11% without religion (as of 2006)

Languages: Spanish; indigenous languages

Employed by economic sector: Agriculture 1%, industry 23%, business 76% (2017)

Unemployment (in% of all labor force): 2017: 8.5%; high underemployment

Inflation rate (in%): 2017: 25.7%

Foreign trade: import: 66.9 billion US$ (2017); Export: 58.4 billion US $ (2017)