Between the months of November 2022 and April 2023, different Units of the Chilean Navy were deployed in logistics support tasks to national and foreign bases in the Chilean Antarctic Territory, navigating more than 38,000 nautical miles, the equivalent of 70,000 kilometers approximately.
In the midst of difficult weather conditions, strong winds, snowfall, rain and freezing temperatures, five ships, three helicopters and more than 200 troops successfully completed each of the missions entrusted by the Institution on the White Continent.
With a focus on compliance with the Antarctic Treaty, particularly on the commitments stipulated in the Madrid Protocol that establishes the protection of the environment of the Antarctic Continent, the ships and their crews supported the removal of garbage and waste from the bases, with a total of 298.14 tons transferred to Punta Arenas. In this way, the Chilean Navy contributes to the protection of the terrestrial and marine ecosystem of the Chilean Antarctic Territory.
With the support of the Commander in Chief of the Third Naval Zone, the Chilean Navy transferred 730 scientists to the White Continent and a total of 3091.96 tons with logistical support such as food, equipment and fuel that will allow the different bases to support during the year. In this sense, support was given to the national bases “Arturo Prat”, the Maritime Government of “Bahía Fildes”, the base of the Chilean Army, the Air Force, Inach, among others, in addition to foreign bases in countries such as Germany. , Ecuador, Bulgaria, Poland, Uruguay and the Czech Republic.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Third Naval Zone, Rear Admiral Fernando Borcoski stated that each of the missions established in this 2022-2023 Antarctic Campaign was successfully fulfilled: “The Chilean Navy plays a fundamental role of logistical and operational support in the Territory Chilean Antarctic, in addition to permanently and uninterruptedly exercising national sovereignty. In each of the commissions carried out by the Units, the protection of the environment was strictly complied with, being a guarantor of the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol, tools that allow the protection of the ecosystem on the White Continent. In this way, the Institution, through its Third Naval Zone, complies with the actions of effective sovereignty in the Chilean Antarctic Territory, National Development and State Action.