On Saturday 23, the main hangar of the Espora Air Naval Base of the Argentine Navy, where the Super Etendard naval attack fleet is stored, was transformed in the stage of a crossfit competition.
The story was revealed by local media, after several persons linked to the Argentine Navy rose voices of concern when they found out that what normally is a secure and restricted area became the playground of Bahía Cross Gym and other two gymnasiums of Bahía Blanca City, some fifteen kms of the base.
Acording to Clarin newspaper, on the afternoon of Friday 22, when most of the civilian personnel working at the site were leaving, cargo vehicles began to arrive with the sports equipment to be used during the competitions. It was reported that some employees even had to extend their working day to collaborate in the preparation of the site.
Meanwhile, sources linked to the defense sector also expressed their displeasure with the situation. They revealed that civilian vehicles entered the hangars where the military aircraft are located, and some participants of the day took pictures of themselves next to the units.
Truth be told, this is not the first time this kind of civil endeavors take place in a military facility. There are multiple examples around the world, like when some sports team or personalities receive military training, or in the film industry: the use of military equipment and installations is frequent and, in many cases, endorsed.
This is even not the first time that the Espora naval air base hold this kind of gymnastic events; however, there are rightful concerns about the public access to what normally is well guarded area.
One does not simply walk into an Argentine Navy restricted area
According to sources, the event was organized by the gymnasiums and after a weather-related delay they reached the Espora base authorities: the deal was to rent the main hangar for the crossfit event, which it would be spent in some minor, but very necessary, repairs at the base.
The ever-shrinking argentine defense budget make this kind of off-the-books deals necessary to help on maintenance of bases or equipment; but the line should be drawn when an innocent activity derives into a serious security compromise.
In that hangar, where the event took place and the people participating in it had the chance to take many pictures, is where Argentina’s main naval attack capacity is stored: the Malvinas-veteran Dasssault-Breguet Super Etendard (SUE) and a batch of Super Etendard Modernisé (SEM), the last being acquired from France in 2019.
While the configuration and capabilities of Argentina’s air component is far from being a secret -all in all, it is the same as it was in 1982-, the concerns regarding base security are sparking a bigger discussion: is a small emolument -as small as three local gymnasiums can make, one would assume- worthy of potentially exposing sensitive information?
The real -and biggest- discussion should be why the Navy as a whole, an air base or some personnel need to assume such a risk just to get some funds to get things done. But the conclusion to that debate won’t be given by the civilians that had the chance to do some exercise and to take a couple of selfies.
