Last weekend, social media platforms widely circulated news of the arrival of a United States Air Force Boeing C-40 Clipper, which subsequently visited the city of Ushuaia and Neuquén Province. Today, 27 January, the arrival in Argentina of a second aircraft of the same type, carrying an official delegation, was confirmed.
As noted when the aircraft registered “05-0730” arrived last Saturday, the C-40 Clipper is the military version of the Boeing 737 Next Generation, currently operated by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
United States Air Force C-40 Clipper operations in Argentina
Interest in the aircraft’s presence on Argentine territory stems from their role. In addition to transporting cargo and military personnel, they are also used for VIP travel by civilian figures from both the executive and legislative branches of the United States government. Furthermore, neither the reason for its arrival nor its official itinerary had been disclosed by the United States Embassy in Buenos Aires or Argentina’s Foreign Ministry.
The arrival today of a second aircraft in this class - specifically C-40C Clipper “02-0202” - finally prompted an official response from Argentina’s Foreign Minister, Pablo Quirno.
Writing on his personal X account, the head of the San Martín Palace stated: “It is a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and Workforce visiting Argentina”.
He added: “Given the interest generated around the Argentine government’s programme worldwide and, in this case, the strategic relationship between Argentina and the US, we welcome visits by the various delegations interested in our country”.
Official delegation visits Ushuaia and Neuquén
Nevertheless, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry has yet to issue an official statement offering further details about the presence of the two United States military aircraft in the country. Their delegations have visited strategic locations including Ushuaia, in southern Argentina, with its reach towards the South Atlantic and Antarctica, and Neuquén Province, where Vaca Muerta is one of the leading growth hubs for Argentina’s, the region’s and the world’s energy and hydrocarbons sector.
Finally, as Escenario Mundial had previously reported, “... The arrival of the second C-40 - linked to the Davos sphere - reinforces the perception that Argentina has become part of a high-level agenda at a particularly sensitive moment, amid ongoing debates over strategic resources, Antarctic projection and international alignments. At the same time, the lack of official information fuels a situation in which questions are growing faster than certainties”.
Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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