Overview
- President Javier Milei arrived by a U.S. C-2 Greyhound on Thursday to the USS Nimitz off Mar del Plata during the closing events of Passex 2026.
- The drills paired the USS Nimitz and destroyer USS Gridley with Argentine ships such as ARA La Argentina and ARA Rosales in air-defense runs, formation sailing, and a boarding simulation.
- Passex is a passing exercise that activates when foreign warships transit a country’s waters so both navies can rehearse shared communications and procedures.
- The government enabled the deployment through Decree 264/2026, a route outside normal congressional approval that drew procedural criticism from opponents.
- U.S. Southern Command leaders joined the engagement, while a separate special-forces program called Operation Daga Atlántica runs until June 12, as Argentina pursues deeper cooperation including a proposed integrated naval base in Ushuaia.