| Submarine Force Command | |
|---|---|
| Comando de la Fuerza de Submarinos | |
 Comando de la Fuerza de Submarinos (COFS) building, Mar del Plata | |
| Active | 1927 – present |
| Country |  Argentina |
| Branch | Argentine Navy |
| Type | Submarines |
| Size | None active |
| Part of | Navy Ministry of Defense |
| Anniversaries | September 3 |
| Engagements | Revolucion Libertadora Falklands War |
| Website | argentina.gob.ar/submarinos |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President of the Republic |
| Chief of Staff of the Navy | Admiral |
| Chief of COFS | Capitán de Navío |
The ArgentineSubmarine Force Command (Spanish:Comando de la Fuerza de Submarinos,COFS) is thesubmarine service branch of theArgentine Navy.
Argentine submarines were traditionally named after theprovinces of the Republic whose name begins with the letter 'S'; they are home based atMar del Plata Naval Base. COFS members have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Navy. As of 2010, the elite groupAgrupación de Buzos Tácticos was under the direct command of the submarine force.[not verified in body]
As of 2023, since 2020 the Submarine Force Command has had two submarines, both inactive. Following thedisappearance of ARASan Juan in November 2017, oneTR-1700 (ARA Santa Cruz (S-41)) and oneType 209 (ARA Salta (S-31)) submarines remain on the naval list, though neither is operational. Two small surface vessels, ARAPunta Mogotes (P-65) andARA Luisito (Q-51), are also part of the COFS and used in a training role.[1]
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In 1917 the Argentine Navy sent students to theUnited States to begin training courses at theNaval Submarine Base New London. Lieutenants Francis Lajous, Osvaldo Repeto, Eduardo Ceballos and Vicente Ferrer served in theUnited States Navy during theFirst World War.[citation needed]
Like the rest of the Argentine armed services, the submarine force struggled to maintain its readiness due to budget constraints affecting equipment maintenance and personnel training. In 2012, the three boats then in service had maintenance difficulties and between them spent just 19 hours submerged.[2]
In mid-2019, the governments of Brazil and Argentina began working on a transfer deal for the four Tupi IKL209/1400 submarines then operated by theBrazilian Navy. In the early 2000s the Tupis were upgraded with new combat systems by Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors. This gave the submarines the ability to carry and fire theMk 48 Mod 6AT ADCAPTorpedo. Defence ministers and admirals of the Argentine Navy were enthusiastic about moving forward with the arrangement. The submarines were to be repaired and serviced in theTandanor drydock facility. The acquisition would rejuvenate the Argentine submarine force and its strategic position in the South Atlantic.[3][4][needs update]
In January 2020, while touring the Mar del Plata naval base, Defence Minister Augustin Rossi indicated that he would like the submarine capability provided by ARASanta Cruz not to be lost, as it was the last submarine then still active in Argentine service.[5] However, by the end of 2020, the refit ofSanta Cruz was reported cancelled leaving the entire Argentine submarine service inactive. The submarine service was then relying on international exchanges to permit personnel to serve in foreign submarines (notably with thePeruvian Navy) and was using the submarineSalta as a training platform at dockside.[1][6][7]
In 1927 the Argentine Navy signed a contract with the ItalianshipyardFranco Tosi ofTaranto in order to build the service's first three ships. The units arrived inBuenos Aires on 7 April 1933, and transferred to Mar del Plata on 3 September, which became the Anniversary Day for the newly created Submarine Force. TheTarantinos, as they were known, served between 1933 and 1960 when the last one,Santa Fe (S-1), was retired after taking over a thousand dives. In 1938, the crew ofSanta Fe had been awarded a civilian medal after assisting a local fishing boat that was in distress offCabo Corrientes.[8]Santiago del Estero (S-2) established (at the time) an immersion record for a submarine in theSouth Atlantic (114 metres).[9]Santiago del Estero took part in the blockade of theRio de la Plata during the 1955Revolución Libertadora, where she fought off a strike package ofGloster Meteor fighter aircraft loyal to presidentJuan Domingo Peron.[10]
In April 1960 the United States Navy agreed to transfer twoBalao-class submarine units on loan under theMilitary Assistance Program. They departed fromSan Francisco, California, on September 23 and arrived in Mar del Plata on November 30. These ships participated in numerous exercises during their career including UNITAS, CAIMAN, SAYONARA and CAIO DULIO. Theconning towers of both submarines were locally upgraded to improvehydrodynamics.[11] In 1996, Argentinian officials disclosed that a group oftactical divers had carried out an incursion on theFalkland Islands on boardSantiago del Estero (S-12) in October 1966.[12] The submarines went back to the United States for mid-life repairs and were retired in 1971.[citation needed]
In 1971 the US Navy transferred further units in order to replace the previous generation. TwoGUPPY-type submarines were an interim measure until new submarines being built in Europe became available.Santiago del Estero was retired by September 1981 but ARASanta Fe (S-21) would take part in the 1982Falklands War. She landed a team ofBuzos Tácticos (tactical divers) on theinitial amphibious assault and weeks later, after a successful resupply mission, was spotted on the surface. She was attacked withAS 12 missiles by a BritishWasp helicopter and disabled offGrytviken,South Georgia; scuttled at dock by her crew, the submarine was eventually sunk in deep waters by the British some years after the war ended.[citation needed]
In 1969 a contract was signed inWest Germany for twoType 209 submarines, of the 56-metre (184 ft)/1,200-ton sub-type. The vessels were built in parts byHowaldtswerke at Kiel and delivered toTandanor shipyard in Buenos Aires where final assembly was completed in 1973; they were commissioned in 1974. During the 1982 Falklands War onlySan Luis (S-32) was in service; she reported two encounters withRoyal Navy ships but without scoring hits due to problems with her torpedo's firing system. The threat posed bySan Luis, however, forced the Royal Navy to give up recovery efforts of twoSea King helicopters which had ditched at sea on 12 May and 18 May 1982 respectively. Both aircraft were eventually destroyed by naval gunfire.[13][14] She also tied up a considerable number of British naval assets deployed to counter her presence.[15] There was an attempt to deploySalta to the Falklands area at the end of May, but excessive noise and problems with the torpedo firing system similar to those found onSan Luis prevented her operational use.[16]San Luis was struck from the Navy in 1997 after an incomplete overhaul, whilstSalta (S-31) was still in service as of 2017. As of 2020Salta was reported to be incapable of navigation.[17]
As part of a major fleet renovation plan which included theMEKO frigates classes, a contract was signed in 1977 with West Germany'sNordseewerke for sixTR-1700-class submarines, the last four of them to be built in Argentina.[citation needed] The Argentine Navy sponsored the development of theCAREM nuclear reactor to be installed on these submarines,[18] but for political reasons the whole program was cancelled and only the two German units were delivered. These boats were at the time the largest submarines built in Germany sinceWorld War II and were among the fastest diesel-electric submarines in the world.[19]
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