The government of Javier Milei has drafted a proposal to allocate 2.08 billion pesos (equivalent to approximately US$1.43 billion ) for Antarctic development. This funding, included in the 2026 National Budget (Annex III, Item 136.252), is earmarked for the acquisition and incorporation of a “ MODULAR CONSTRUCTION HOUSING COMPLEX TO EXPAND THE OPERATIONAL CAPACITY OF THE JOINT ANTARCTIC BASE (BAC) PETREL, LOCATED AT CAPE WELLCHNER, DUNDEE ISLAND.”

As mentioned, the investment is focused on Petrel Base , a facility of profound historical and strategic significance. Founded in 1967, it was Argentina's most important operational base until a fire in the winter of 1974 rendered it inoperable.

After 48 years of abandonment, in 2022 Argentina began its recovery and restoration process through a strategic project driven by the Joint Antarctic Command (COCOANTAR) and the TANDANOR shipyard , since due to its location and accessibility, it is the key base for Argentina's projection towards the South Pole, and the one that provides better operational conditions for air and sea transport than the emblematic Marambio Base .

The progress of the Petrel recovery project

Since 2022, construction has shown relatively steady progress, including the completion of the structural assembly of Module II (300 m²) and the advancement of Module I (400 m²), which together form the residential and logistics complex. It is expected that by 2030, the base will be able to accommodate 60 permanent residents and up to 150 during the summer, in addition to housing Antarctica's first modular hospital , whose installation was expected to begin in February 2025.

The reopening of Petrel will symbolize Argentina's Antarctic resurgence, with the Air Force and Navy resuming air and sea operations in the area after decades. This is also being done in partnership with the private sector, specifically the Mirgor business group, which acquired a Basler BT-67 aircraft for dual operation: to meet the needs of Argentina's military and scientific institutions, and to pave the way for Antarctic tourism by the company.

Antarctic Sovereignty vs. Foreign Influence

While the reactivation of Petrel will be a national achievement delayed for more than 50 years, the Government's decision to move forward with its own funds for this base comes in a context of growing concern about Argentine autonomy in Antarctica , due to the deep strategic alignment with the United States .

The Integrated Naval Base (BNI) project in Ushuaia , conceived as the logistical hub to support Antarctic activities, has been politically reoriented during Javier Milei 's administration to include the direct participation of the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).

Thus, the presidential announcement to develop this base together with the U.S. will be nothing more than a surrender of protagonism and real authority , which could mortgage the independence of Argentine foreign and national defense policy , subordinating it to the strategic interests of a foreign power.

This concern is supported by the visits of the three most recent heads of Southern Command to Ushuaia: Admiral Craig Faller, General Laura Richardson, and Admiral Alvin Holsey . These trips had the stated objective of "observing firsthand the fundamental role played by [the heads of Argentina's Southern Naval Area Command] in protecting maritime routes vital to global trade." This fact does not conceal the fact that Southern Command 's true intention is to monitor the progress of the Integrated Naval Base project and secure a foothold at the South Pole within the context of global geopolitical competition.

Collaboration with Britain's main partner

Javier Milei's alignment with Washington is particularly sensitive and dangerous for the country he governs and for the southern tip of the South American continent . The United States is the main military ally and trading partner of Great Britain , which has occupied the Malvina Islands since 1833, after the USS Lexington shelled and sacked Port Soledad, the Argentine command post in the islands, in December 1831. Moreover, the US was Britain's strongest ally in recent history, and its logistical, technological, and military support helped turn the tide of the war in favor of the British occupation forces against Argentina.

An investment for sovereignty or for surrender

At a snail's pace, construction of the Integrated Naval Base in Ushuaia progressed this year, well into winter, with the completion of the concrete slab for what will be the Joint Command headquarters . However, the political decision behind it is what raises geostrategic concerns . The commitments made by the libertarian administration to Washington reinforce the perception of subservience to imperial interests seeking to steer Argentina's Antarctic development to their advantage and even establish an advanced operations base for their nuclear submarines , as explicitly requested by Admiral Alvin Hosley.

The progress of the project to recover Petrel Base , with a significant investment in key infrastructure, contrasts sharply with the loss of autonomy in the Integrated Naval Base project in Ushuaia . This clearly places Argentina at a critical crossroads: either the century-old national Antarctic project is consolidated, or it will be left at the mercy of the geopolitical ambitions of the United States .