The Ushuaia Naval Base or Admiral Berisso Integrated Naval Base is the southernmost port of the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; ). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Argentine Army, Army and the Argentine ...

, situated in

Ushuaia Ushuaia ( , ) is the capital city, capital of Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina. With a population of 82,615 and a location below the 54th parallel south latitude, U ...

on the shores of the

Beagle Channel Beagle Channel (; Yahgan language, Yahgan: ''Onašaga'') is a strait in the Tierra del Fuego, Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, on the extreme southern tip of South America between Chile and Argentina. The channel separates the larger main island of I ...

. It is also the main Argentine port and logistics center for access to Antarctica. It is named after Emilio Rodolfo Berisso, a naval officer assassinated in 1972 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces. The base was founded on December 13, 1950, by then-President

Juan Perón Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and Statesman (politician), statesman who served as the History of Argentina (1946-1955), 29th president of Argentina from 1946 to Revolución Libertad ...

in order to establish a base of operations for support ships operating in the southern sector. The deep draught of the port allows the operation of large ships. The base is used by Argentine Navy ships participating in each year's Antarctic Campaign for maintenance and resupply. Also included in its scope is the Ushuaia Naval Air Station (former airport), from where aircraft and helicopters of the Naval Aviation Command operate when they exercise in the Southern Atlantic. The geographical area of its jurisdiction includes the province of Santa Cruz, the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego and the island of the States, and the southern maritime spaces that reach the 60º South parallel. The base jurisdiction also extends to the nearby Ushuaia Naval Naval Base, Rio Grande Naval Air Base and the Puerto Deseado Naval Base.

Based units

Fast Patrol vessel

ARA Indómita (P-86) ARA ''Indómita'' (P-86) is an of the Argentine Navy. The vessel has a twin sister ship, . It is the first Argentine ship to bear the name. The vessel was reported active as of 2022. In October 2022 it was reported that ''Indómita'' had recei ...

Patrol vessels

* ARA ''Baradero'' (P-61) * ARA ''Barranqueras'' (P-62) * ARA ''Clorinda'' (P-63) * ARA ''Concepción del Uruguay'' (P-64) * ARA ''Zurubí'' (P-55)

Tugboats

* ARA ''Toba'' (R-8)

Future

As of 2021, President Alberto Fernandez announced plans to turn the Naval Base into an Antarctic Logistic Centre.

References