Argentine Naval Prefecture

 

Prefectura Naval Argentina

Creation:	1810
Prefect:	Carlos Edgardo Fernandez
Subpref:	Ricardo Rodriguez
Location:	Ave. E. Madero 235 Buenos Aires
Motto:	Robur et quies iuxta litora et in undis
English:	Valour and safety in coasts and waters
Phone:	54 11 4318 7400

The Argentine Naval Prefecture, in Spanish Prefectura Naval Argentina or PNA, is a military service of the Argentine Interior Ministry charged with protecting the country's rivers and maritime territory. It therefore fufils the functions of other countries' coast guards, and furthermore acts as a gendarmerie force policing navigable rivers.

History

The Prefecture was officially founded by the Argentine government in June of 1810. The first commander of the force was Colonel Martin Jacobo Thompson.

The Prefecture had a minor role in the Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas ). Two PNA patrol vessels, the Islas Malvinas (GC-82) and the Rio Iguazu (GC-83), were sent to provide an Argentine coastguard service to the islands. According to the Prefecture, the Rio Iquazu shot down a British Sea Harrier on 22nd May, although this alleged incident does not tally with British officially recognised losses of aircraft in the war, there being no known (officially recognised) loss of a Sea Harrier on this date.

However it is undisputed that the Prefecture did come into contact with British aircraft and several of its personnel were killed.

The patrol vessel Islas Malvinas was captured and used by the Royal Navy.

General Organization

The PNA is subordinate to the Ministry of Interior. The organization is headed by the National Naval Prefect (Prefecto Nacional Naval), currently Prefect-General Carlos Edgardo Fernandez, assisted by the Deputy National Naval Prefect (Subprefecto Nacional Naval), currently Prefect-General Ricardo Rodriguez.

The Prefecture's main facility is located in the Edificio Guardacostas (which translates as "the Coastguard Building") at 235 E. Madero Avenue, Buenos Aires.

The PNA headquarters is divided into three main departments, each headed by a Director-General with the rank of Prefecto General. These are each divided into a number of directorates, each headed by a Director with the rank of Prefect-General (Prefecto General).

• Dirección General de Seguridad (Directorate-General of Security)
  • Dirección de Operaciones (Directorate of Operations)
  • Dirección de Policía de Seguridad de la Navegación (Directorate of Navigation Security Police)
  • Dirección de Policía Judicial, Protección Marítima y Puertos (Directorate of Judicial Police, Maritime Protection and Ports)
  • Dirección de Protección Ambiental (Directorate of Environmental Protection)
• Dirección General de Logística (Directorate-General of Logistics)
  • Dirección de Personal (Directorate of Personnel)
  • Dirección de Material (Directorate of Materiel)
  • Dirección de Educación (Directorate of Education)
  • Dirección de Administración Financiera (Directorate of Financial Administration)
  • Dirección de Bienestar (Directorate of Welfare)
• Dirección General de Planeamiento y Desarrollo (Directorate-General of Planning and Development)
  • Dirección de Planeamiento (Directorate of Planning)
  • Secretaría General (Secretariat-General; headed by the Secretary-General, a Prefecto Mayor)

the Intelligence Service (Servicio de Inteligencia) is directly responsible to the National Naval Prefect and is also headed by a Prefect-General.

Regional organization

The PNA is divided into ten zones:

• Alto Paraná (prefectures of Posadas, Iguazú, San Javier, Itá Ibaté, Ituzaingó, Libertador General San Martín, and Eldorado)
• Alto Uruguay
• Paraná Superior and Paraguay (prefectures of Corrientes, Formosa, Barranqueras, Pilcomayo, Reconquista, Goya, and Paso de la Patria e Itatí)
• Lower Uruguay (prefectures of Concepción del Uruguay, Gualeguaychú, Colón, Concordia, Salto Grande, and Federación)
• Lower Paraná
• Delta
• Río de la Plata
• North Argentine Sea
• South Argentine Sea
• Lacustre and Comahu

Prefect-General and other ranks

The highest rank of Prefect-General is held by the National Naval Prefect and many of the most senior officers of the prefecture, such as the directors of the different directrates of the national headquarters. It corresponds to the flag officer ranks of the Argentine and other navies.

Officer ranks are as follows:

• Prefect-General
• Prefect-Major or Senior Prefect: Equivalent Commonwealth/US naval rank of Captain
• Principal Prefect: Equivalent to the Commonwealth/US naval rank of Commander
• Prefect: Equivalent to the Commonwealth/US naval rank of Lieutenant-Commander
• Sub-prefect
• Principal Officer
• Adjutant Officer
• Auxiliary Officer: Equivalent to the Commonwealth naval rank of Midshipman

The non-commissioned ranks are variations on the ranks of "sub-officer" and "corporal". They are the same as the other ranks of the Argentine Navy.

Inventory

The PNA operates a small air fleet of 17 aircraft, including 10 helicopters.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[1]	Notes
Aérospatiale Puma	France	Transport helicopter	SA 330L	1
CASA C-212 Aviocar	Spain	Maritime Patrol / Transport	C-212-300	5
Eurocopter Dauphin	France	Search and rescue	AS 365N2	3
Piper PA-28	United States	Utility		2
Schweizer (Hughes) 300	United States	Utility helicopter	300C	6

Illegal fishing

The Prefectura is constantly battling illegal fishing vessels in the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE), mostly from eastern countries. The Navy also collaborates in detection of such ships with their P-3 Orion and Beechcraft BE-200 Cormoran maritime surveillance aircraft.

See also

• Argentine Federal Police
• Argentine National Gendarmerie
• Buenos Aires Police
• Santa Fe Province Police
• Interior Security System

References

1. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15 2007.

• (Spanish) (English) Official website
• (English) International Lifeboat Federation

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