| Argentine Republic | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Nuclear program start date | Early 1980s (ended in 1983) |
| First nuclear weapon test | None |
| First thermonuclear weapon test | None |
| Last nuclear test | None |
| Largest yield test | None |
| Total tests | None |
| Peak stockpile | None |
| Current stockpile | None |
| Current strategic arsenal | None |
| Cumulative strategic arsenal inmegatonnage | None |
| Maximum missile range | None |
| NPT party | Yes |
| Weapons of mass destruction |
|---|
 |
| By type |
| By country |
|
| Non-state |
| Biological weapons by country |
| Chemical weapons by country |
| Nuclear weapons by country |
| Proliferation |
| Treaties |
Under amilitary dictatorship, Argentina began anuclear weapons program in the early 1980s, but this was abolished in 1983 after the return to civilian government.
During the 1980s, theAlacrán (English:Scorpion) andCóndor 1 (English:Condor) missiles were developed.[1] TheCóndor 2, with a range of around 1,000 kilometres,[2] was intended to be developed with assistance fromEgypt andBa'athist Iraq. However, the project was condemned by theUnited States and theMissile Technology Control Regime.[3] It was reportedly scrapped during theMenem administration under pressure from the United States government and due to a lack of funds in 1990.[3][4]
Argentina acceded to theGeneva Protocol on May 12, 1969[5] and has been active innon-proliferation efforts, ratifying theBiological Weapons Convention in 1979[6] and theChemical Weapons Convention on October 2, 1995.[7]
In September 1991, Argentina, together withBrazil andChile, signed the Mendoza Declaration, which commits signatories not to use, develop, produce, acquire, stock, or transfer—directly or indirectly—chemical or biological weapons.[8]
Argentina conducted anuclear weapon research program during theNational Reorganization Process regime, in part because of a similarBrazilian program assisted byWest Germany.[3] International concern over the possibility of an Argentine nuclear weapons program magnified after theFalklands War in 1982, when theU.S. intelligence community estimated that Argentina could build a nuclear bomb from its civilian nuclear program.[9] Government officials confirmed in November 1983 that research carried out at theBalseiro Institute'sresearch reactor had yielded the capacity for weapons-gradeuranium enrichment.[10] The program was abandoned, however, shortly after thereturn of democracy on December 10, 1983. PresidentRaúl Alfonsín placed the nuclear program back under civilian control.[3] The program was also abandoned because Argentina did not have bad relations with Brazil, and because Brazil was wealthier than Argentina and thus more advantaged in an arms race.[11]
After theBrazilian transition to democracy, Argentina and Brazil began cooperating on nuclear non-proliferation.[11] In 1991, theNational Congresses of Argentina andBrazil ratified a bilateral inspection agreement that created theBrazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC) to verify both countries' pledges to use nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. On February 10, 1995, Argentina acceded to theNon-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. Argentina continues to use nuclear power in non-military roles, and is noted as an exporter of civilian usenuclear technology.[12]
In 2010, the government announced that it would start working in the creation of anuclear submarine.[13] This type of submarine uses nuclear power forpropulsion. The announcement was highly criticized by politicians from opposing parties.[14]
In accord with three presidential decrees of 1960, 1962 and 1963, Argentina supplied about 90 tons ofunsafeguardedyellowcake (uranium oxide) to Israel to fuel theDimona reactor, reportedly creating thefissile material forIsrael's first nuclear weapons.[15]
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