On February 4, 1976, a naval conflict arose between Argentina and the United Kingdom in waters near the Malvina Islands . It was an event that would mark a before and after in the relationship between the two countries and in the history of Argentina's claim to its legitimate sovereignty in the South Atlantic.

This episode, known as the " Shackleton incident ", is less remembered than the 1982 war , but its impact on bilateral relations was significant.

The confrontation began when the Argentine destroyer ARA Almirante Storni , under the command of frigate captain Ramón Arosa , pursued a British oceanographic research vessel carrying out operations in an area of Argentine maritime jurisdiction . It was the RRS Shackleton.

When Commander Arosa ordered the British ship to stop for inspection , he was refused by the RRS Shackleton. For his part, the illegitimate governor of the Malvinas , Neville French , ordered the ship to continue on its course .

At this, the ARA Almirante Storni fired warning shots and began a chase . From that moment on, the tension intensified, with the support of an SP-2H Neptune reconnaissance aircraft that backed up the actions of the Argentine destroyer .

However, Shackleton managed to take refuge in Puerto Argentino . Later, the diplomatic conflict would escalate due to the protest of the British usurpers before the UN .

This incident was not an isolated event , but occurred in a context of growing tension between the two countries .

Since 1971 , Argentina had attempted to establish closer ties with the inhabitants of the Malvinas , proposing cooperation agreements through Air Force flights and the provision of basic services .

However, the arrival in 1975 of the British mission , headed by Lord Shackleton , to assess the region 's economic resources , caused alarm in Buenos Aires .

The subsequent Shackleton Report, published in 1976 , revealed the high fishing and oil potential of the waters surrounding the Malvina Islands . Years later, the emblematic confrontation would find a continuity with the war of 1982 .