Argentine and Chilean Navies begin the 25th Viekaren Exercise in the Beagle Channel

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Viekaren exercise in the Beagle Channel

The Argentine and Chilean Navies have begun a new edition of the Combined Viekaren Exercise. Now in its 25th edition, the activity has once again brought together a range of naval and naval aviation assets from both countries in the waters of the Beagle Channel. The arrival of the Argentine units in Puerto Williams enabled the first joint training activities to get under way, focused chiefly on a coordinated response to emergencies in the southern maritime region.

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During the opening days, the participating surface vessels carried out drills involving air operations, external assistance and visual-signal communications using flashing lights and signal flags. The activities are intended to allow crews from both Navies to use shared procedures and coordinate their actions in situations requiring a joint response, particularly those concerning navigational safety and assistance for people in distress.

The Argentine Navy deployed the offshore patrol vessel ARA Contraalmirante Cordero, currently assigned as the station ship in Ushuaia, alongside the fast boat ARA Indómita and the patrol boats ARA Clorinda and ARA Baradero. The latter vessels belong to the Southern Patrol Division of the Southern Naval Area Command (ANAU), whose assets maintain a permanent presence in the waters of Argentina’s far south.

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Chile’s contribution includes the general-service patrol vessels ARCH Isaza and ARCH Sibbald, as well as the general-service boats ARCH Alacalufe and ARCH Hallef, assigned to the Beagle Naval District. The Chilean Navy deployment is supplemented by assets from the Puerto Williams Naval Aviation Detachment, enabling air capabilities to be incorporated into the various scenarios considered during the exercise.

Argentine and Chilean naval aviation assets

One feature of this edition is the involvement of naval aviation resources, including a Chilean Navy UH-05 helicopter. The aircraft operated with Argentine surface vessels during the drills, providing a response capability of particular importance in an environment such as the Beagle Channel, where distances, terrain and weather conditions can complicate the arrival of naval assets in certain areas. The Argentine Navy is also taking part with a B-200 aircraft from its Naval Aviation branch.

Beyond its strictly operational activities, Viekaren represents one of the principal frameworks for cooperation between the two countries’ Navies in the far south. The exercise is linked to the cooperation mechanisms established under the 1984 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and seeks to keep coordination procedures well practised for contingencies that could affect human life, navigation or the environment.

The continuation of these activities is especially significant given the characteristics of the area in which they take place. In the waters of the Beagle Channel, Argentine and Chilean units must be ready to act in a coordinated manner in search-and-rescue scenarios, while assisting vessels, responding to maritime emergencies or dealing with pollution incidents. The exercise therefore provides an opportunity to test communications, response times and shared procedures in a realistic operational setting.

The term Viekaren, of Yaghan origin and associated with the idea of “confidence”, encapsulates the central aim of this combined activity. Across its 25 editions, the exercise has become an established means of strengthening interoperability and cooperation mechanisms between the two naval forces, while maintaining a joint capacity to respond to potential emergencies in one of South America’s southernmost and most demanding maritime regions.

Photographs: Argentine Navy.