20/06/2026 06:10 - Actualidad
Submarino militar argentino navegando en aguas del sur de Argentina durante el crepúsculo, con la silueta de montañas nevadas de Tierra del Fuego al fondo, atmósfera dramática y respetuosa
Current Lieutenant Commander Juan Gabriel Viana served as a frigate lieutenant and Navigation Officer aboard the ARA San Juan, a TR-1700 class submarine of the Argentine Navy. He was one of only two crew members who disembarked before the final leg of the mission that ended with the submarine's disappearance and the loss of 44 lives on November 15, 2017.
His testimony before the Federal Tribunal of Santa Cruz, based in Río Gallegos (southern Argentina), proved crucial in reconstructing the events leading to the disaster. Viana made it clear that his departure from the submarine was not a personal decision driven by fear.
Viana explained that he had a pre-arranged commission with a Brazilian Navy submarine. His participation in that international mission had been planned well in advance, though he did not know the exact date.
It was only upon arriving in Ushuaia (the southernmost city in the world, in Tierra del Fuego province) that the then-Commander of the Submarine Force, Claudio Javier Villamide, informed him he had to leave the unit to fulfill that commitment.
"I did not ask to disembark," he recalled before the tribunal. "I thought I was continuing with the submarine," he added, describing how he expected to complete the entire mission alongside the rest of the crew.
When asked about the vessel's condition at the time of departure, Viana was categorical:
"I was not afraid to go out in the submarine. I considered and still consider that the submarine was in condition to sail. There was nothing that drew my attention or made me worry regarding the submarine's safety."
The officer stated he was willing to return with the submarine from Ushuaia to Mar del Plata (a major naval base city on Argentina's Atlantic coast) and that he never considered resigning as a submariner after the tragedy.
The Operations Order COFS 4/17 began on October 25, 2017 with departure from the Naval Base in Mar del Plata. The first stage consisted of sailing to Ushuaia, where they arrived on November 4.
Viana described that the submarine typically navigated at depths between 40 and 60 meters, with specific dives up to 80 meters for sound propagation measurements. He clarified these depths were within operational limits, as the unit had a maximum restriction of 100 meters since November 2016.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 25, 2017 | Departure from Mar del Plata |
| November 4, 2017 | Arrival in Ushuaia, disembarkation of Viana and Vilte |
| November 15, 2017 | Last contact with the submarine |
Viana detailed two situations requiring intervention during navigation toward Ushuaia:
The witness recalled an episode in the Beagle Channel, near Puerto Williams (a Chilean naval base):
"In transit, off Puerto Williams, an aircraft flew over us and dropped sonobuoys; we reported this information as soon as we arrived at port. Commander Fernández submitted it," he stated.
Sonobuoys are devices for detecting and recording underwater sounds. Viana explained the objective was to obtain the Argentine submarine's acoustic signature, information later translated into naval intelligence.
Viana was also questioned about the July 2017 patrol, though he clarified that he did not participate because he was on paternity leave after his son's birth.
The patrol report recorded seawater entering the forward battery tank ventilator during a snorkel maneuver, with possible lack of watertightness of the E-19 valve, connected to the ventilation system.
The witness indicated his knowledge came from subsequent conversations with crew members, including Lieutenant Eliana Krawczyk (one of the first female submarine officers in Argentina), and stated he had no information about corrective work being requested for that valve.
Viana obtained his submariner specialty in 2015 and participated in between 13 and 15 navigations during 2016, plus practically all ARA San Juan operations in 2017.
When asked about the preparedness level of embarked personnel, he responded:
"My personal opinion is that the crew had a very high level of professionalism."
He explained this assessment was based on years of shared navigation, watches performed, and various maneuvers conducted aboard. He also affirmed that he never heard comments from officers, non-commissioned officers, or Commander Pedro Martín Fernández that questioned the feasibility of the mission.
Viana also described circumstances of Humberto René Vilte's disembarkation, the other member of the final crew who did not remain aboard during the final leg.
While in Ushuaia, Vilte received a call informing him his mother was hospitalized in Jujuy (a province in northwestern Argentina). Viana channeled the request through the then-second commander of the unit, Jorge Bergallo, who authorized the disembarkation.
The trial has been underway since March 3, 2026 before the Federal Tribunal of Santa Cruz. Judges Mario Reynaldi, Luis Giménez, and Enrique Baronetto have heard from more than 90 witnesses over three months.
Four former high-ranking naval officers are being prosecuted for alleged negligence in the exercise of their duties related to the submarine's departure that imploded on November 15, 2017.
Toward the end of his testimony, Viana emphasized:
"In my natural instinct for self-preservation, which we all have, I was never afraid to go out and navigate in the submarine."
The officer also commented that after the incident, he had meetings with the then-Navy chief, Marcelo Srur, and Defense Minister Oscar Raúl Aguad, to provide information about the navigation. Additionally, he requested to be removed from the Brazilian commission to remain on land and collaborate in SARSUB search operations.
The ARA San Juan was a German-designed TR-1700 class submarine commissioned by the Argentine Navy in 1985. On November 15, 2017, the vessel lost contact with its base while returning from Ushuaia to Mar del Plata.
An international search effort involving vessels and aircraft from multiple nations (USA, UK, Chile, Brazil, others) was conducted. On November 30, 2017, the Navy declared the 44 crew members deceased. The wreckage was located on November 17, 2018, approximately 600 kilometers off the coast of Comodoro Rivadavia, at a depth of about 900 meters, confirming an implosion event.
Source: Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
