U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE NEWS REPORTS ARGENTINE SUBMARINE MISSING

US NASA  ASSETS RESPONDING TO ASSIST ARGENTINA IN THEIR SEARCH FOR THEIR MISSING SUBMARINE 

 ARGENTINE  DIESEL SUBMARINE SALTA AT NAVAL BASE MAR DEL PLATA. Photo by Martin Otero, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.

FINAL UPDATE 12/ 9/2017. According to latest reports the search has been called off as the submarine is now believed to have plunged to crush depth leaving no survivors. According to our own sources the crew would have probably been aware in the early stages of the accidental dive to the bottom of the loss of control, but at crush depth , death would have been instaneous and not from drowning. On the way down the crew would have experienced some fitting failures , leaks etc. but at crush depth the physical attributes of the crushing action would be more analogous to a powerful explosion than the crushing of a metal cylinder. The crew would have initially experienced the equivalent of being hit by a freight train of moving water sufficient to not only knock someone dead instantly but also to almost vaporize , though that is not the proper word, more like instantly reduce to liquid suspension a human body. The hull would be reduced to small pieces. Hence the search is terminated. We have often taken Argentina to task in these pages for their policy toward the Falklands, and for hosting Russian naval elements in this hemisphere. We have not changed our attitude on these Argentine naval policies but we do sincerely mourn the loss of Argentina's submariners. All sailors at all times face the dangers of the sea. All sailors at all times try to assist other sailors in distress, even enemy sailors once their ship is disabled.  We will pray for the families of the lost Argentine crew and wish them the best and we are quite sincere when we say we mourn the loss of these sailors despite our disagreements with their government. All sailors have very little discretion in which orders they will obey or what policies the government will adopt. "our not to reason why, ours but to do or die". May God whose arm binds the ocean wave have mercy on the souls of our brother mariners. 

Update 11/25/2017: Hope dims for crew as reports of underwater explosions from near the sub's last known position come in from multiple sources. These explosions were detected rather shortly after the report of last known position but took several days to be reported to search authorities as the different international organizations detecting the explosions were not in the missing submarine search and not particularly looking for explosions of the size noted. Unfortunately, the explosions detected  are in fact consistent with an explosion aboard a submarine.

Update: 11/21/2017: The U.S. Navy Submarine rescue team has now been dispatched to the scene though we have no reports of an actual location for the sub. 

While Argentina has embraced Russian Naval Forces ( See 

ARGENTINA AND THE BEAR, )

and offered base support for their semi permanent presence in this hemisphere they turn to the US for assistance in finding their missing naval unit. A NASA research plane joined the search for the missing sub and it crew of 44. A NASA owned P3 ORION aircraft has joined in the search for a missing Argentine submarine and its crew of 44, a defense official told USNI News on Friday. The missing sub is the diesel attack boat ARA San Juan (S-42).  Perhaps in order to avoid offending their Russian benefactors Argentina has not asked for additional US assistance but the USNI reports that Us Naval Submarine rescue assets are being prepared in the event that Argentina does make the request. 

 As Namazu notes: "Its just so true around the world, no matter who a given regime is playing footse with, when the chips are down and the real adults are needed the call goes to the US."

 Read the entire story at the USNI NEWS SITE: USNI NEWS 

https://news.usni.org/2017/11/17/nasa-aircraft-joins-search-missing-argentine-submarine-44-sailors-u-s-navy-submarine-rescue-crews-equipment-mobilizing