Argentina and the United States are finalizing plans for Atlantic Dagger (Daga Atlántica), a major Special Operations Forces exercise scheduled for April 6 that military officials are calling "probably the most important combined exercise in recent Argentine history" in political terms.
The exercise marks Argentina's re-entry into Western security architecture under President Javier Milei, reversing two decades of military drift that began when Buenos Aires distanced itself from Washington in the early 2000s.
According to Infobae, Atlantic Dagger will involve elite special operations units from both nations - including US Green Berets, Air Force Special Operations Command, and Marine Corps MARSOC forces, alongside Argentina's commando companies and naval tactical divers.
The scope goes beyond routine training. This is a Special Operations Training (SOF) exercise - the kind reserved for counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and unconventional warfare. It signals strategic partnership, not just military courtesy.
"This represents the most important [exercise] of the last 25 years," a military source told Infobae. The last time Argentina conducted exercises of this magnitude with Washington was during the 1990s, when then-President Carlos Menem positioned the country as a US ally.
Milei's government sees military cooperation as part of a broader realignment - away from left-wing regional blocs and toward integration with Western security and economic systems. Spain is expected to send an observer, underscoring the transatlantic dimension.
But the strategic implications extend beyond bilateral relations. How do Brazil and Chile view this? Both have maintained more balanced foreign policies, engaging with Washington without full alignment.
Brazil, under President Lula, has pursued an independent path - deepening ties with China, mediating in global conflicts, and resisting what it sees as US hegemony in the hemisphere. A militarily-aligned Argentina shifts the regional balance.
Chile's center-left government, meanwhile, has kept defense cooperation with Washington while expanding economic ties across the Pacific. Buenos Aires' explicit security partnership with the US changes the calculus.
For Milei, this is about signaling Argentina's place in the world: firmly Western, explicitly pro-US, and available for partnership in hemispheric security. Whether that translates to economic benefits - foreign investment, trade deals, IMF flexibility - remains to be seen.
But on April 6, when Argentine and American special forces conduct joint operations, the message will be clear: Buenos Aires is back in Washington's security orbit.
Twenty countries, 650 million people. Argentina's realignment is reshaping the hemisphere's strategic map.
