ARA Bahia Agradable moored at the “Augusto Lasserre” military dock of the Ushuaia Naval Base after fulfilling functions as an Antarctic Service Ship in the waters of the white continent.
In this way, it complemented the second stage of the Combined Antarctic Naval Patrol carried out by the Argentine Navy with its Chilean counterpart, thus reinforcing the mutual commitment of both nations in the protection of navigation, the preservation of human life at sea and the care of the environment in the challenging waters of the Antarctic continent.
The Unit, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Carlos Manuel Coyla, was received in the capital of Tierra del Fuego by the Commander of the Southern Patrol Division, Frigate Captain Heraldo Dédalo Da Luz, together with the Music Band of the Southern Naval Area, which performed various melodies to liven up the arrival of the ship.
The warning, dependent on the Maritime Patrol Division, has a crew of 52 sailors, to which were added, as complementary staff, crew members of the Naval Hydrography Service, health, services, meteorology and rescue divers, in order to reinforce the services of the Unit and offer greater security to the development of on-board activities.
After concluding the second stage of the XXVII edition of the Combined Antarctic Naval Patrol (PANC), which has been developed every year by the Argentine Navy together with the Chilean Navy for more than two decades, the AVBA will remain in Ushuaia as an Antarctic Support Ship during the “Charlie” stage, preparing to end its participation in the PANC 2024/25 and reaffirming its importance as a key unit for the fulfillment of combined operations.
Antarctic Service Vessel
With a station in the city of Mar del Plata, the AVBA had begun its journey to the Antarctic continent on November 15, 2024, departing from the military dock of the Mar del Plata Naval Base in order to fulfill its mission within the framework of the PANC 2024/25.
On 19 December, she assumed her role as Antarctic Service Ship (BSA), taking over from the Chilean Navy’s tugboat ATF-60 “Lientur”. This handover marked the beginning of the “Bravo” stage of the patrol, in which the ship operated for more than 40 days south of the 60th parallel, covering a total of 4,009 nautical miles in extreme conditions, which tested the operational capacity of the ship and its crew.
During its deployment in Antarctic waters, the “Bahía Pleasant” played a key role in maritime surveillance. Throughout the “Bravo” stage, it sighted more than 80 vessels, including tourist cruise ships, exploration yachts and fishing vessels, as well as scientific and logistical units such as the oceanographic research vessel BIO “Hespérides” from Spain, the oceanographic vessel BAP “Carrasco” from Peru and the polar vessel HSV “Santos Hermanos Cyril and Methodius” from Bulgaria.
Logistical and scientific support was also a priority during the mission. The “Bahía Pleasant” facilitated the transfer of personnel and materials to various scientific stations in Ecuador, Poland and Chile. In addition, it assisted the Argentine bases Carlini, Decepción and Primavera, consolidating international cooperation and guaranteeing the continuity of scientific research in the region.
As for the patrolled areas, it toured a wide variety of strategic sectors that include bays such as Guardia Nacional, 1° de Mayo, Esperanza and Paraíso, as well as straits of great relevance such as Antarctic, Gerlache and Bismarck. This deployment ensures the presence and effective control in areas with a high degree of tourist concurrence, reinforcing the uninterrupted presence of our country in Antarctica for more than 120 years and reaffirming the commitment of the Argentine Navy to maintaining security in these waters.
Throughout the leg, the crew maintained a rigorous training program designed to ensure a high level of contingency preparedness that included man-overboard exercises, firefighting, breakdown control and oil spill containment.
Finally, on January 23, it concluded its stage as an Antarctic Service Ship, carrying out the corresponding relief exercises before returning to the city of Ushuaia.
PANC
The mission of the Combined Antarctic Naval Patrol, which is divided into four stages, either as an Antarctic Service Ship or as an Antarctic Support Ship, is to provide a search, rescue, maritime rescue, pollution control and combat service, with the purpose of providing safety to navigation, to human life at sea and to contribute to keeping the waters free of pollution, south of the 60ºS parallel, in compliance with the Antarctic Treaty.