Latin American Military - Argentina - Prefectura Naval Argentina (PNA) - Agrupación Albatros

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Revised: November 5, 2007
Copyright © 1997-2010 by Jean Charles Barroux

This unit was created in 1970 as a company in the NCO school Coronel Martín Jacobo Thompson with riot control functions. It became independent from the school and acquired its current name and functions in February 25, 1975.

Due to the near conflict with Chile at the end of 1978, during the Operativo Tronador, the Agrupación Albatros was field deployed to the Tierra del Fuego in the form of a light infantery batallion composed of 3 or 4 fully maned rifle companies. Similarly, during the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas war elements of the Agrupación Albatros were readied to be deployed to the islands, but in the end they remained in the mainland.

During the carapintadas insurection under the leadership of Seineldin a component of the Agrupación Albatros tried to takeover the Edificio Guardacostas, the main administrative building of this force, but another component loyal to the government prevented them to do so.

Currently the Agrupación Albatros is a highly trained and equipped rapid reaction force that can be used in a large number of police, security and disaster relief scenarios, both as an independent force or as a complement to local forces that are overwhelmed by a particular situation, especially where expertise and equipment to operate in water environments is needed. The primary mission of the unit are to provide security againts terrorism, riots or any public disturbance, that require the use of highly trained personnel, provinding support to other operative units in the areas of securing vital objectives, riot control, antinarcotic raids and frontier control. Primary missions for which this unit is trained are:

1. Recovery of ships at sea or harbour, with or without hostages
2. Mutiny control on board of ships
3. Recovery of hostages and/or sensitive installations
4. Inspection of ships in high sea
5. VIP protection

For example, this unit has been deployed a number of times to the sensitive Triple Frontera, especially just after the events of September 11. They have participated of hostage rescue operations, like the Banco Río case, and are also deployed as high-level security details, like the presidential meetings in Mar del Plata.

Operationally, this unit depends from the Director de Operaciones.

Due to the high training requirements of this unit the Agrupación Albatros operates the Centro de Entrenamiento Profesional Policial which is charged of the continuous training of its members as well as providing training to other internal security forces, both from Argentina and from abroad.

The Agrupación Albatros is composed of three operational groups;

1. Compañía Operacional Táctica (COT)
2. Unidad de Respuesta a Catástrofes (URC)
3. Unidad de Operaciones Policiales Especiales (UOPE)

The missions of the Compañía Operacional Táctica (COT) are;

1. Riot Control
2. Checkpoint Manning
3. Sensitive Installations Protection
4. Recovery of ships at sea or harbour, with or without hostages
5. Mutiny control on board of ships
6. Recovery of hostages and/or sensitive installations
7. Inspection of ships in high sea
8. Frontier Patrol, especially when waterborne
9. Counter Drug Raids, especially waterborne o heliborne
10. Counter Terrorism Raids, especially waterborne o heliborne
11. VIP protection

The missions of the Unidad de Respuesta a Catástrofes (URC) are;

1. Disaster Relief
2. Relief Center Management
3. Sauvetage and Evacuation of Refugees
4. Riot Control

The missions of the Unidad de Operaciones Policiales Especiales (UOPE) are;

1. Recovery of hostages
2. Recovery of ships at sea or harbour, with or without hostages
3. Mutiny control on board of ships
4. Amphibious Infiltration, in peace and war
5. Amphibious Reconnaissance, in peace and war
6. Coup de main, in peace and war