Argentine Navy General Falls After Missing Submarine

The fate of the missing submarine ARA San Juan remains unknown, but several Argentine Navy leaders have been sacked, paying the price for their negligence and lack of responsibility in their work.

President Mauricio Macri (left) at a press conference about the submarine incident with Admiral Marcelo Srur, who was recently dismissed - Photo: AFP

Most recently, the Navy Commander, Admiral Marcelo Srur, was fired, a month after the submarine ARA San Juan carrying 44 crew members went missing in the South Atlantic.

Reuters news agency quoted an Argentine government spokesman on December 17 as saying that this move is the first disciplinary measure taken by President Mauricio Macri's administration since losing contact with the ARA San Juan submarine on November 15.

Meanwhile, on December 12, Admiral Marcelo Srur himself dismissed the commander of the navy's training division, Vice Admiral Luis López Mazzeo, due to "disciplinary violations" related to the disappearance of the submarine ARA San Juan.

During the investigation of the incident, Defense Minister Oscar Aguad asked the Argentine Navy to provide documents related to the maintenance process as well as the operational route of the ARA San Juan to Judge Marta Yanez - who is handling this case.

Argentine authorities are also examining the responsibility of those involved in the disappearance of the ARA San Juan submarine and its 44-man crew, including Mr. Mazzeo and the commander of the Argentine submarine unit.

The Argentine Ministry of Defense is also investigating why the navy did not promptly report the submarine's disappearance to President Mauricio Macri, Commander of the Armed Forces, and Minister Aguad, on November 15 when contact with the ARA San Juan was lost. In addition, authorities are also examining the time when the navy discovered the explosion in the area where the submarine went missing, as this information was only released on November 22.

President Mauricio Macri (center) listens to Admiral Marcelo Srur (right) present the search direction for the missing submarine at the navy headquarters in Buenos Aires on November 24 - Photo: REUTERS

On November 13, the ARA San Juan ship left the port of Ushuaia, in the southernmost part of Argentina, to make a journey to its base in the city of Mar del Plata, 400km south of the capital Buenos Aires.

Two days later, the ship sent a final signal in the San Jorge Bay, 432km off the coast of Argentina, reporting that seawater had flooded the ventilation system during heavy seas, leading to a short circuit in a battery and causing a fire.

However, the crew reported that the incident was under control and continued its journey. Since then, the ARA San Juan with 44 sailors on board has been missing.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), about three hours after the ARA San Juan last reported information to the command post, a large explosion occurred only about 27km from the ship's contact location. This explosion may be related to the ship's disappearance.

The submarine ARA San Juan leaving Buenos Aires port on June 2, 2014 - Photo: REUTERS

The submarine ARA San Juan leaving Buenos Aires port on June 2, 2014 - Photo: REUTERS

On November 28, the Argentine Navy said that if the ship did explode, the cause was hydrogen gas that accumulated after a battery short circuit.

Argentine and international efforts to find the submarine have yet to yield results. The current search area for the submarine covers 40,000 square kilometers, with a depth of 200-1,000 meters in the South Atlantic.

On December 12, the Argentine Navy issued a statement saying that the two suspected objects discovered at depths of 650m and 139m did not belong to the submarine ARA San Juan.

Relatives of sailor Luis Carlos Nolasco, one of the 44 crew members of the ARA San Juan, hold his portrait during a march in front of the Mar del Plat naval base, December 3, demanding a thorough search - Photo: REUTERS

On December 5, Argentine Defense Minister Oscar Aguad confirmed that 44 sailors on the submarine ARA San Juan, missing since November 15 in the South Atlantic, were dead.

In an interview with Todo Noticias TV channel, Minister Aguad emphasized that after 20 days and in the harsh conditions in the sea where the submarine went missing, "humans cannot survive". With this statement, Mr. Aguad is the first official in the Argentine government to officially acknowledge that the sailors died.

According to Tuoi Tre