Peter Lamelas on Milei's visit to the USS Nimitz: “We are in a new era of bilateral relationship”

The strengthening of the bilateral relationship between Argentina and the United States added a new chapter of high geopolitical impact with the visit of President Javier Milei to the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, as part of the Southern Seas 2026 naval exercises.

From US diplomacy, the gesture was read as a turning point: “We are in a new era of bilateral relations,” said Ambassador Peter Lamelas.

The diplomat was not limited to a protocol formality. In an official statement, he stressed that the commitment between the two nations exceeds traditional cooperation to consolidate itself as “a deep strategic alignment, capable of fully facing the challenges of the 21st century.” He added: “The USS Nimitz represents the pinnacle of American naval engineering, and today it serves as a platform to showcase the strong partnership between the United States and

Argentina.”

The presidential visit was carried out with logistical precision. Milei departed from Aeroparc at 10 in the morning and landed an hour and a half later directly on the deck of the aircraft carrier aboard a Grumman C-2 Greyhound, an aircraft specially designed to operate on this type of vessel. He spent almost four hours on the ship before returning to the continent

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The official delegation reflected the political weight of the mission: the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei; Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno; the Minister of Security, Alejandra Monteoliva; the Minister of Defense, Carlos Presti; the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem; the presidential advisor Santiago Caputo; the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marcelo Dalle Nogare; and the head of the Navy, Juan Carlos Romay , in addition to Peter Lamelas himself

.

During the day, an aerial demonstration was held that included F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, as part of the program for the last day of exercises. The Nimitz operates in the area together with the guided missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG-101), in maneuvers that integrate naval forces from at least ten countries

in the region, as reported by the U.S. Embassy.

The deployment is part of the Passex 2026 (Passing Exercise) exercise, an opportunity maneuver that is activated when foreign ships transit jurisdictional waters. Participation was authorized by the National Government through Decree 264/2026.

The Nimitz had crossed the Strait of Magellan and since the previous Sunday it had been operating in the Argentine Sea bound for the south of Mar del Plata.

The combined maneuvers were developed in a phased manner. At the height of Trelew, exploration flights were carried out with P3C Orion aircraft and an air defense exercise simulating F-18 fighter attacks. In front of Necochea, the operation reached its maximum capacity with the addition of the ARA “Sarandí” destroyer, the ARA “Robinson” and ARA “Rosales” corvettes, and the ARA “Piedrabuena” and ARA “Rear Admiral Cordero” ocean patrols. Between the latter and the USS Gridley (DDG-101), a visit, search and capture exercise was carried out

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The commander of the Sea Fleet, Rear Admiral Pablo Germán Basso, stressed that this type of encounter allows us to perfect anti-aircraft defense exercises with combat aircraft and raise the professional standards of the force.

In addition, three Argentine officers — corvette captains Julio Escudero and Romina Banegas, and First Petty Officer Jorge Ortiz — make up the multinational General Staff aboard Nimitz, actively participating in the planning of common tactics and procedures.

In technical terms, the USS Nimitz is one of the most impressive pieces of American naval power: it measures 332.8 meters long, has a flight deck 76.8 meters wide and, thanks to its nuclear propulsion, it can exceed 30 knots in speed.

Its crew of around 6,000 people, including naval and air personnel, is part of an attack group that includes aircraft such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the EA-18G Growler and MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters.