Around midday this Sunday, Ushuaia's Malvinas Argentinas International Airport was the scene of unusual activity that raised concerns among observers and the local press. A Boeing C-40 Clipper , belonging to the United States Air Force (USAF) , landed at 11:22 AM in the capital of Tierra del Fuego, arriving from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, with previous stops in the province of San Juan and Buenos Aires.

The arrival cannot be understood outside the context of the close relationship between Argentine President Javier Milei and his US counterpart, Donald Trump . This is especially true given the strong ties that have existed between the libertarian government and the Republican administration since 2024, linked to the Integrated Naval Base project, logistical interests in Antarctica , and the accusation by Gustavo Melella 's provincial administration that the intervention in the Port of Ushuaia is intended to hand it over to the "Southern Command."

The trail of "Reach": From the outskirts of Washington to Tierra del Fuego

According to satellite tracking data obtained by Agenda Malvinas from flightradar24.com , The aircraft operated under the call code RCH (Reach) , a designation characteristic of the US Air Mobility Command.

The flight originated at Joint Base Andrews , a top-security strategic facility known worldwide as the home of Air Force One .

The plane first touched down in Argentina at San Juan . It took off from Andrews Airport at 1:04 PM on Thursday the 22nd and landed in San Juan at 6:06 PM on Friday the 23rd . There is a record of 2 hours and 12 minutes of time spent on the tarmac. At 10:12 PM that same Friday, it took off again and arrived at Jorge Newbery Airport (Aeroparque) at 11:36 PM.

Today, Sunday, January 25, 2026, it departed from Aeroparque at 08:04 and touched down at 11:22 at the “Malvinas Argentinas” airport in Ushuaia.

A look at the Boeing C-40 Clipper: Cargo or VIPs?

The Boeing C-40 Clipper is not a conventional transport aircraft. Based on the 737-700C design, this aircraft is described as an "office in the sky" for high-ranking military officers and government officials.

Specification

Technical Details

Operator

U.S. Air Force (USAF)

Model

C-40 Clipper (Based on B737-700)

S Mode

AE17EF

Main Function

Transportation of Distinguished Visitors (DV)

Reach

5,600 km (Approximately)

Ability

VIP configurations that include rest areas and encrypted communications

Unlike heavy cargo planes, the B and C versions of the C-40—like the one that arrived in Ushuaia—are specifically equipped for transporting VIPs. This suggests that a high-level delegation from the Pentagon or the State Department is on board.

A precedent that raises suspicion

Historical memory in the province is clear : the last time a military aircraft of this type landed in the city on the Beagle Channel, it was to transport the then-head of the U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Hosley. In a global context of growing interest in Antarctica and the control of transoceanic passages, the presence of an aircraft that reports directly to the command structure in Washington cannot be ignored.

The unanswered questions

From Agenda Malvinas, we raise the questions that citizens and authorities should consider: Who is traveling on board? What is their agenda in Ushuaia? Is their presence related to the Integrated Naval Base project, logistical interests in Antarctica, or the national administration's involvement in the port?