Argentina clears US oceanographic cruise in the South Atlantic as debate grows over “dual-use” data
The authorization has triggered criticism in Argentine political and defence circles focused on the potential dual-use value of certain outputs
Argentina’s Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) recorded that it had “no objections,” within its remit, to a United States request for a marine scientific research cruise by the R/V Roger Revelle inside Argentina’s Exclusive Economic Zone between March 5 and March 30, 2026. In the same document, the council asked for “all basic data” plus “preliminary and final reports” to be submitted to Argentine authorities prior to any publication of results.
According to the document, the clearance followed diplomatic notes from the US Embassy, and the planned work area spans 42°S to 48°S and 59°W to 63°W. The minutes also note that an Argentine scientific observer from INIDEP (the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development) would be onboard.
A research ship with Navy ownership
Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UC San Diego) describes the R/V Roger Revelle as operated by Scripps under a charter agreement with the Office of Naval Research, with ownership held by the US Navy.
Technical documentation for the vessel highlights instrumentation that includes multibeam echosounders used for high-resolution seafloor mapping, alongside systems for broad oceanographic measurements.
GO-SHIP: climate monitoring and open datasets
The CFP said the cruise is part of GO-SHIP, an international effort to repeat trans-basin hydrographic sections on multi-year timeframes to document shifts in heat, freshwater, carbon, nutrients and oxygen.
The Argentine minutes describe the objective as continuing measurements to track changes in temperature, oxygen and anthropogenic CO₂ relative to the most recent comparable survey cited there as 2014.
GO-SHIP program documentation and reviews also emphasize broad access and open release of consistently quality-controlled datasets.
The controversy: seabed mapping and “dual-use” concerns
The authorization has triggered criticism in Argentine political and defence circles focused on the potential dual-use value of certain outputs—especially bathymetry and acoustic-relevant measurements—beyond climate research.
By requesting raw data and draft/final reporting ahead of publication, the CFP inserted a formal pathway for Argentine authorities to access and review the cruise’s outputs.
Regional backdrop: sovereignty dispute and UK forces in the Falklands
The debate unfolds against the long-running sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falklands (which Argentina calls the Malvinas). The UK maintains forces on the islands, with Mount Pleasant Complex—opened in 1985—described by official UK sources as established to provide a fighter and transport presence and to demonstrate the UK’s security commitment in the South Atlantic.
