Uso del instrumento militar en la política antártica. Elementos para el análisis y su aplicación en el caso de Argentina

Abstract

In general, in most countries with interests in the Antarctic continent, Military Forces have a logistic role such as supply or personal movements. For example, in some countries as Argentina, the Antarctic Campaign is planned by the Military Forces. In other hand, it is possible that apart from that, a “real occupation” is in course of development. This is related to the claims of sovereignty postponed by the Antarctic Treaty. We focus on them considering the importance of the legal framework of the Antarctic Treaty and from the Antarctic policy of some countries. Considering the overlapping claims of sovereignty, we specially analyze some components from the Argentinean, the Chilean and the British Antarctic policy. From a military point of view, we examine some aspects from the design of its military force that make them operative for missions in the Antarctic Campaign such as: adaptation, specialization and preparation. Those components are related to the necessary capacity to operate in the Antarctic area. Additionally, we will briefly mention military cooperation emphasizing its logistic component. Finally, we will compare international relations in the Antarctic and Artic continents considering the different actors involved.