President Javier Milei landed on the US nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Argentine Sea to join joint naval exercises. He was accompanied by Karina Milei, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, and Defense Minister Carlos Presti. The visit is part of the Passex 2026 exercise with the Argentine Navy.
President Javier Milei took part on the afternoon of April 30, 2026, in a joint activity aboard the USS Nimitz, located south of Mar del Plata. He landed on the carrier's deck from a US Grumman C-2 Greyhound aircraft, as part of the binational Passex 2026 exercises organized by the US Southern Command and the US Embassy in Argentina.
Milei was accompanied by Presidential Chief of Staff Karina Milei, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, and Defense Minister Carlos Presti. The US Ambassador Peter Lamelas and other officials also joined. The USS Nimitz, one of the world's most powerful nuclear aircraft carriers, is conducting maneuvers with Argentine ships including the destroyer ARA “La Argentina”, corvette ARA “Rosales”, and others.
The exercises, authorized by Decree 264/2026, ran from April 27 to 30 in Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone. They featured formation maneuvers, air defense drills with F-18 simulations, joint air operations, and a Photoex. Flota de Mar Commander Rear Admiral Pablo Germán Basso noted that the drills enhance Argentine naval capabilities and interoperability with the US Navy.
Argentines such as Lieutenants Julio Escudero and Romina Banegas, and Petty Officer Jorge Ortiz, are involved in planning aboard the USS Nimitz. The activities aim to build mutual trust between the two navies in the South Atlantic.
