The province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands has consolidated its position as the epicenter of regional geopolitics in recent weeks, with a visible increase in U.S. military and diplomatic activity at its bases and airports.

First, the unreported presence of the US Embassy aircraft, the Beechcraft Huron B-200 "Águila 5" , in Río Grande, and now, the record of a US Air Force (USAF ) Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) officer at the Río Grande Naval Air Base; "Naval Air Pioneers at the South Pole" . Specifically, between October 6 and 13, 2025 , when the Argentine Navy's Naval Aviation Command carried out a major training deployment there.

Image published by Pucará Defensa

As reported by the specialized media Pucará Defensa , the maneuver involved key aircraft such as the Grumman S-2T Tracker (in its last operational deployment), the Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King helicopter , the TC-12B Hurón Maritime Surveillance and the T-34C-1 Turbo Mentor . The units carried out reconnaissance exercises, close support and helicarrier maneuvers with the 5th Marine Infantry Battalion .

Image published by Pucará Defensa

The climax of the activity came with the open house on Friday , October 10. A social and public event, where the presence of a USAF pilot, a member of the Southern Command , and a member of the diplomatic corps at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires was captured in images and videos on various Rio Grande social media accounts.

Image published by Pucará Defensa

While the participation could be framed as a courtesy visit within the context of the well-oiled bilateral cooperation , the presence of an officer from the principal US military branch in the region at a key base in the South Atlantic is no small feat . It comes at a time of geopolitical alignment between the government and President Javier Milei himself, who has proposed to Southern Command, no less, than the joint development with the US of the Argentine Antarctic territory through an Integrated Naval Base in Ushuaia.

The mystery of the "Eagle 5"

The presence of the US military adds to the documented record of a US Embassy aircraft, the Beechcraft Huron B-200 "Águila 5" Registration: 60I68 , at the Rio Grande airport without official notice between Monday 6 or Tuesday 7 October.

As reported by Agenda Malvinas , the secrecy of the Foreign Ministry, the Embassy itself, and the Tierra del Fuego government regarding the reasons for the flight are especially disturbing, as they reflect the US's geostrategic interest in the province, which includes: Admiral Alvin Hosley 's (who recently resigned as commander of the Southern Command) request for the US to have a logistics and submarine operations base in the Beagle Channel; and diplomatic and media pressure to reactivate the British-Irish LeoLabs radar in Tolhuin . The Southern Command considers this facility to be of strategic interest for space surveillance in purely military terms, within the framework of the war that NATO is losing against Russia in Ukraine as a combat theater.

The coincidence of the "Águila 5" visit with the start of the Naval Aviation deployment and the presence of a Southern Command officer support the hypothesis that the visits are coordinated and aimed at reconnaissance of infrastructure and the advancement of U.S. military interests in the area.

The accumulation of records on US military personnel and the unjustified air traffic from its Embassy in a highly sensitive province due to its proximity to the Malvinas Islands, Antarctica, and the Strait of Magellan demand clear responses from the National Government and the provincial governments , just as national legislators from Tierra del Fuego and San Juan are demanding regarding similar flights by "Águila 5" in their jurisdictions.