Milei pushes for accelerated construction of Argentina's Ushuaia naval base

President Javier Milei announced that the development of the long-dormant Ushuaia naval base will be given priority in Argentina's 2027 budget, seeking to transform the site into a strategic military and logistical hub in the South Atlantic. The base, located along the Beagle Channel at the continent's southern tip, has seen only about nine percent of its planned work completed since a foundation stone was placed by the previous centre-left administration in 2022.

Milei, who aligns closely with U.S. President Donald Trump, earlier hinted at a joint Argentine-U.S. installation but his office now stresses that the facility will be entirely Argentine, a point reiterated by spokesman Adrian Ravier. The existing infrastructure is limited to a 2,500-square-metre concrete slab on a 38-hectare restricted lot near Ushuaia airport, with no active construction and no disclosed timeline for full completion.

Milei also used the occasion to adopt a tougher stance on Argentina's claim to the British-held Falkland Islands, located about 560 km northeast of Ushuaia. The revival of the base underscores Argentina's push to bolster its presence in the South Atlantic amid ongoing sovereignty disputes.