| Comando de la Fuerza de Submarinos Argentine Submarine Force |
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TR1700s at Mar del Plata naval base |
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| Active | 1927 – present |
| Country | Argentina |
| Branch | Argentine Navy |
| Type | submarines |
| Part of | Navy Ministry of Defense |
| Anniversaries | September 3 |
| Engagements | Revolucion Libertadora Falklands (Malvinas) |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President of the Republic |
| Chief of Staff of the Navy | Admiral |
| Chief of COFS | Capitán de Navío |
The Argentine Submarine Force (Spanish: Comando de la Fuerza de Submarinos, COFS) is the submarine service branch of the Argentine Navy. Argentine submarines have traditionally been named after the provinces of the Republic whose name begins with 'S', and they are home based at Mar del Plata naval base. COFS members have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Navy. As of 2010, the elite group Agrupación de Buzos Tácticos is under direct command of the submarine force and two TR-1700 and one Type 209 submarines are in service. Two small surface vessels, ARA Punta Mogotes (P-65) and ARA Luisito (Q-51), are also part of the COFS and use in the training role.
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In 1917 the Navy sent students to the United States to began training courses at the Naval Submarine School. Lieutenants Francis Lajous, Osvaldo Repeto, Eduardo Ceballos and Vicente Ferrer served in the US Navy during the First World War.
In 1927 the Navy signed a contract with the Italian shipyard Franco Tosi of Taranto in order to build the service's first three ships. The units arrived to Buenos Aires on April 7, 1933 and transferred to Mar del Plata on September 3 which became the Anniversary Day for the newly created Submarine Force. The Tarantinos, as they were known, served between 1933 and 1960 when the last one (Santa Fe) was retired after taking over a thousand dives. In 1938, the crew of the Santa Fe had been awarded a civilian medal after the rescue of a local fishing boat in distress off Cabo Corrientes.[1] The Santiago del Estero established at the time an immersion record for a submarine in the South Atlantic (114 mt).[2] She took part in the blockade of the Rio de la Plata during the 1955 Revolución Libertadora, where she fought off a strike package of Gloster Meteor fighters loyal to Juan Domingo Peron.[3]
In April 1960 the US Navy agree to transfer two Balao-class submarine units on loan under the Military Assistance Program. They departed from San Francisco, California on September 23 of the same year and arrived in Mar del Plata on November 30. These ships will participated on numerous exercises during their career including UNITAS, CAIMAN, SAYONARA and CAIO DULIO. The conning towers of both submarines were locally upgraded to improve hydrodynamics.[4] Some years ago, Argentinian officials disclosed that a group of tactical divers had carried out an incursion on the Falklands Islands onboard the Santiago del Estero in October 1966.[5] The submarines went back to the United States for a mid life repair and were finally retired in 1971.
In 1971 the US Navy transferred further units in order to replace the previous generation. Two GUPPY-type submarines were an interim measure until new submarines being built in Europe became available. Santiago del Estero was retired by September 1981 but Santa Fe would take part on the 1982 Falklands War. She landed a team of Buzos Tácticos on the initial amphibious assault and weeks later after a successful resupply mission was spotted on the surface, attacked and disabled off South Georgia. She was scuttled by the British after the war ended.
In 1969 a contract was signed in West Germany for two Type 209 submarines. The ships were of the 56 metres/1100 ton sub-type and were built in parts by Howaldtswerke at Kiel and delivered to Tandanor shipyard in Buenos Aires where the final assembly was completed in 1973. They were commissioned in 1974 but only San Luis was in service during the 1982 Falklands War. She reported two encounters with Royal Navy ships but without scoring hits due to problems with her torpedo's firing system. The threat posed by the San Luis forced the Royal Navy to gave up recovery efforts of two Sea King helicopters who ditched at sea on 12 May and 18 May 1982 respectively. Both aircraft were eventually scuttled by naval gunfire.[6] She also tied up a considerable amount of British naval assets deployed to counter her presence.[7] San Luis was struck from the Navy in 1997 after an incomplete overhaul whilst Salta was still in service as of 2010.
As part of a major fleet renovation plan which includes the MEKO frigates classes, a contract was signed in 1977 with West Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke for six TR-1700 class submarines with the last four of them to be built in Argentina. The Argentine Navy sponsored the development of the CAREM nuclear reactor to be installed on these submarines [8] but for political reasons the whole program was dismantled and only the two German units were delivered. These ships are the largest submarines built in Germany since World War II and are among the fastest diesel-electric submarines in the world.[9]
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