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| Argentine Naval Prefecture Prefectura Naval Argentina |
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| Abbreviation | PNA |
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| Argentine Naval Prefecture flag | |
| Motto | Robur et quies iuxta litora et in undis |
| Valour and safety in coasts and waters | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 1810 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency (Operations jurisdiction) |
Argentina |
| Legal jurisdiction | As per operations jurisdiction. |
| General nature |
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| Specialist jurisdiction | Water ways and bodies and-or coastal areas. |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Ave. E. Madero 235, Buenos Aires |
| Agency executives |
|
| Zones |
10
Alto Paraná
Alto Uruguay Paraná Superior and Paraguay Lower Uruguay Lower Paraná Delta [disambiguation needed] Río de la Plata North Argentine Sea South Argentine Sea Lacustre and Comahu |
| Facilities | |
| Helicopters | 7 |
| Planes | 10 |
| Website | |
| http://www.prefecturanaval.gov.ar/ | |
| Footnotes | |
| Phone: 54 11 4318 7400 | |
The Argentine Naval Prefecture, in Spanish Prefectura Naval Argentina or PNA, is a service of the Argentine Interior Ministry charged with protecting the country's rivers and maritime territory. It therefore fulfills the functions of other countries' coast guards, and furthermore acts as a gendarmerie force policing navigable rivers.
According to the Argentine Constitution, the armed forces cannot intervene in internal civil conflicts, so the Prefecture is defined as a civilian "security force of a military nature". It maintains a functional relationship with the Ministry of Defense, as part of both the National Defense System and the Interior Security System. It therefore maintains capabilities arising from the demands required by joint military planning with the armed forces.
Contents |
History
The Prefecture was officially founded by the Argentine government in June 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, Rio Iguazu came into contact with a British Sea Harrier aircraft on 21 May and one member of the vessel's crew was killed while firing a 12.7 mm machine gun at the British jet. The ship ran aground, but most of its cargo -among them two 105 mm howitzers- was recovered later. The crew of the patrol boat claimed the shooting down of the aircraft, but this was later proved to be unfounded. The sortie was actually carried out by two Sea Harriers of 800 Naval Air Squadron, Nº XZ460 and XZ499, which strafed the vessel with 30 mm cannon fire.[1]
The patrol vessel Islas Malvinas was captured and operated by the Royal Navy, as HMS Tiger Bay.
Organization
Headquarters
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.
Regions
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
Ranks
The highest rank of the service, Prefect-General, is held by both the National Naval Prefect and Deputy National Naval Prefect, as well as by many of the most senior officers of the prefecture, such as the heads of the different directrates of the national headquarters. While the rank itself equals that of Rear Admiral in the Argentine Navy, the National Naval Prefect and the Deputy National Naval Prefect titles are both equated to the ranks of Admiral and Vice Admiral, respectively, and wear corresponding insignia.
Officer ranks are as follows:
| Argentine Rank (in Spanish) | Argentine Rank (in English) | Equivalent Argentine Navy Rank | Equivalent U.S. Coast Guard Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefecto General (Prefecto Nacional Naval) | Prefect-General (National Naval Prefect) | Almirante | Admiral/Vice-Admiral |
| Prefecto General (Subprefecto Nacional Naval) | Prefect-General (Deputy National Naval Prefect) | Vicealmirante | Rear Admiral (Upper Half) |
| Prefecto General | Prefect General | Contralmirante | Rear Admiral (Lower Half) |
| Prefecto Mayor | Prefect-Major | Capitán de Navío | Captain |
| Prefecto Principal | Principal Prefect | Capitán de Fragata | Commander |
| Prefecto | Prefect | Capitán de Corbeta | Lieutenant Commander |
| Subprefecto | Deputy Prefect | Teniente de Navío | Lieutenant |
| Oficial Principal | Principal Officer | Teniente de Fragata | Lieutenant (Junior Grade) |
| Oficial Auxiliar | Auxiliary Officer | Teniente de Corbeta | Ensign |
| Oficial Ayudante | Adjutant Officer | Guardiamarina | no equivalent |
The non-commissioned officer and enlisted ranks of the Prefecture are as follows:
| Argentine Rank (in Spanish) | Argentine Rank (in English) | Equivalent Argentine Navy Rank | Equivalent U.S. Coast Guard Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayudante Mayor | Adjutant-Major | Suboficial Mayor | Master Chief Petty Officer |
| Ayudante Principal | Principal Adjutant | Suboficial Principal | Senior Chief Petty Officer |
| Ayudante de Primera | Adjutant First Class | Suboficial Primero | Chief Petty Officer |
| Ayudante de Segunda | Adjutant Second Class | Suboficial Segundo | Petty Officer First Class |
| Ayudante de Tercera | Adjutant Third Class | Cabo Principal | Petty Officer Second Class |
| Cabo Primero | First Corporal | Cabo Primero | Petty Officer Third Class |
| Cabo Segundo | Second Corporal | Cabo Segundo | Seaman |
| Marinero | Seaman | Marinero Primero | Seaman Apprentice |
Aircraft Inventory
The PNA operates a small air fleet of 17 aircraft, including 10 helicopters.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service[2] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale Puma |  France |
transport helicopter | SA 330L | 1 | |
| CASA C-212 Aviocar |  Spain |
maritime patrol / transport | C-212-300 | 5 | |
| Aérospatiale Dauphin | France |
search and rescue | AS 365N2 | 3 | |
| Piper Cherokee |  United States |
utility | PA-28 | 2 | |
| Schweizer 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 200 Cormoran maritime surveillance aircraft.
See also
- Argentine Federal Police
- Argentine National Gendarmerie
- Buenos Aires Provincial Police
- Santa Fe Provincial Police
- Interior Security System
- Sinking of the Chian-der 3
References
- ^ Pook, Jerry: RAF Harrier Ground Attack - Falklands. Pen & Sword, 2006, page 69.
- ^ Aviation Week & Space Technology 2009, 26 JAN 2009 Web.25 Jul 2009. <http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/sourcebook/content.jsp?channelName=pro&story=xml/sourcebook_xml/2009/01/26/AW_01_26_2009_p0240-112924-05.xml&headline=World%20Military%20Aircraft%20Inventory%20-%20Argentina>.
External links
- (Spanish) (English) Official website
- (English) International Lifeboat Federation
- Article Un guardacostas argentino hunde un pesquero de Taiwan en aguas reclamadas por Buenos Aires in Spanish newspaper El País on 30. May 1986 about bombardment and sinking of an Taiwan trawler by the Argentine Naval Prefecture (in Spanish Language)
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