Argentine Army's New Paradigm: Espionage and Submission to Mrs. Kirchner's 'National Project'

Words pronounced by Lt. Gen. César Santos Gerardo del Corazón de Jesús Milani -Joint Chief of the Argentine Army-, on the Intelligence Technical Troops Day. Campo De Mayo, November, 2013.

 

'I feel special joy while presiding this celebration of the Intelligence Technical Troops Day, for the first time in my role of Joint Chief of the Army, being part of the specialty, where I had the chance to develop both of my professional and personal aspirations as a soldier of our beloved Argentine Army.

 

This group welcomes us, having been created out of the restructuring of the Technical Troops, so, between these walls, a cultural change achieved through a new employment concept and the essential modernization of the specialty, is now real.

 

Our idea was based on modifying the old paradigms in order to, once and for all, definitely take Military Intelligence out of it numbness, with the goal of retrieving the active role that now plays.
 

These were years of hard work, studies, evaluation and planning. We went through long nights of presentations and coordination which, in the end, were captured on the ground and in the field of the real.
 

You should know that none of the designed and created in regards to reorganization of the specialty would have been reached without the participation of a team of professionals compromised with the change, which returned as result a through equipment plan, consistent instruction and training programs, backed by a modern doctrinary corp and by taking new scenarios into consideration.
 

The achieved goals that we can today present with pride let us, in an operational phase, face the demands surged from the Fortress Operation II ('Operación Fortín II') with both professionalism and the highest level of enlistment. This effort demanded the deployment of a meaningful quantity of means, the need to operate with a high level of dispersion and the backing of the initiative under an extended timeframe.
 

Today, as Joint Chief of the Army, and in the face of my humble experience, I wish to extend this change, both laborious and necessary, to the rest of the Force.
 

I believe this is the model to follow and there I have deposited my commitment and efforts, and I will extend this requirements to each element of the Army.

 

The objective is clear: we must become an agile, modern and efficient tool, both in combat and in support of our compatriots in case of natural disasters but, mainly, we will become a protagonist and commited with a National Project.

 

As I have previously expressed at the time of each Branches Anniversary -and at every inspection visit I performed to our garrisons-, we are beginning a new institutional stage, which will be characterized by a stronger presence and visibilty of the Army actions at every complementary mission, without disregarding our mission, which consists of enlistment and traing in order to execute Military operations.

 

In this very sense, we will show a higher participation in what comes to science, technology and production for the Defense, where Military Intelligence will perform a major role thanks to its developments of UAVs, Cryptography, the 'Augmented Reality Project' and the incipient efforts in cyberdefense, which has been carried out at the Intelligence Directorate (Dirección General de Inteligencia) and will, soon, advance into the goal of covering the requirements of the whole Force.

 

Similarly, we now face the support of the Federal Security Forces in what comes to surveillance and border control, according to the express command of our President, which is now called 'Operación Fortín II'.

 

For this new operation, we have turned to three brigades, deployed in the North of our territory: The Mountain Brigade (Brigada de Montaña), the XII Mount Brigade (Brigada de Monte XII) and the recently activated III Mount Brigade (Brigada de Monte III).

 

In this important mission, Military Intelligence carries out a major role by supporting the several task forces and combat teams deployed on the ground. By providing them the necessary information that will let them plan and execute their patrol assignments thoroughly.

 

In order to face the challenges demanded by the requested support, we have initiated the acquisition and provision of dressing equipment, accomodation modules, campagin vehicles, special vehicles like tanks and refrigeration chambers; being these necessary elements for the accomplishment of missions, and also for the wellbeing of our dedicated personnel.

 

We will also act decisively in order to support emergency, by creating specific units that will be provided with the necessary latest generation materials to achieve excellency. Military Intelligence will also be present via the presentation of risk mapping, simulation models, and will provide its Intelligence patrol effectiveness when the time comes to carry out damage assessment tasks and to point the best sites to dispose of the means.

 

I would also like to take the chance to underline the contribution of Intelligence units in emergency operations by the time of the flood in the City of La Plata; their actions constructed a concrete example of commitment to our compatriots, which was also reflected in the deployment of means for the Province of Neuquén, when the Copahue Volcano eruptions took place.

 

These circumstances evidenced the sacrifice, the professionalism and the solidarity that illustrate the mission of the Argentine Army soldier.

 

But this new stage of the Force will also imply an organic evolution and the provision of modern means to bring the tools to execute operational missions and, furthermore, useful to generate the motivation and well-being for our personnel.

 

In what comes to organic evolution -together with the reactivation of the III Mount Brigade-, the III Mount Corps of Engineers will be reactivated, as well as the III Mount Brigade Communications Company, the 12 Artillery Group and the 12 Cavalry Scouting Squadron (Escuadrón de Exploración de Caballería 12).

 

This organic evolution will also be accompanied by Intelligence through the recent creation of the Esquel and Tartagal Intelligence Sections, the evolution of the Geospatial Central of Intelligence (Central de Inteligencia Geoespacial) and the Signals Intelligence Company (Compañía de Inteligencia de Señales, [SIGINT]), which will now go from being organic nodes to operational units.

 

We have also initiated a recovery cicle for materiel capability, related to operational aspects, but also to the well-being of our people.

 

Because of this, and with the support of our President, we have faced the acquisition of 120,000 latest generation uniforms -together with individual equipment-, in order to dress the whole of our Army elements.

 

With the support of the Ministry of Defense, we are managing the quality and quantity improvement of rationing, placing the Army at the very same levels shown by other organizations within the State.

 

We are also managing the replacement of the garrison and campaign motor pool, altogether with the gradual repowering of our Unimog and Mercedes Benz trucks, in order to supply our Force with the necessary mobility.

 

This management will also benefit the Intelligence units, that will begin to complete their organic transport means.

 

We are also facing major projects with the goal of increasing the combat capability of the Force, through:

 

* The modernization of the TAM (Tanque Argentino Liviano, [national tank]) and our M-113s.

* The acquisition of Hummer vehicles for scouting, 35 of which will be provided to Intelligence units.

* The acquisition of new artillery pieces, in order to provide the 12 Artillery Group with the respective fire capability.

* The modernization of campaign communication systems of the Army, with latest generation militarized material. Intelligence will be able to complete the provision materiel, by receiving 15 Harris equipment units and 36 portable terminals.

 

We are also supplying our Intelligence with more surveillance equipment, such as thermal vision units, sensors and 13 (thirteen) UAVs for training, and 102 computers -enforced for campaign deployment.

 

I am convinced that all these actions will contribute to the optimization in an operational level, and to motivate our troops, the Civilian Intelligence Personnel (PCIs) and the soldiers.

 

We will intensely work at every issue that affects our personnel, in order to return them the hope and the pride of belonging to an Army that holds both the vision and the means to accomplish it.

 

I look forward to a multiplying effect that will trigger enthusiasm at every command level, the same way it happened with the Men and Women of Intelligence. We must -for once- abandon the fear of change and the paralysis generated by endless analysis, with the goal of facing a transformation that will let us initiate the path to a future which we all want to be part of.

 

We definitely want to end with the process of capability loss that our Force has been suffering from a long time; we will initiate this ascending path that will let us be able to face the challenges demanded by the Republic.

 

We are a founding institution of the Republic. This compells us to be protagonists, not mere spectators, as we were during our History.

 

Comrades of the Intelligence Technical Troops: it is now time to commit together to a Country's National Project.

 

I urge you to share with the Men and Women of the Armed Forces Branches, specialties and services, our own experience.

 

We shall work together in order to make our Army's course evident before the eyes of the Argentines, in the short term.

 

On this special day, I'd like to express my recognition to all those who have played a part in the specialty and that have shared their valuable contribution. I salute the war veterans and those who, in active duty, collaborate together with the Branches, Services and Specialties to help the institution reach its goals.

 

Mi special memory to those Men and Women of Intelligence that gave their life in the line of duty, for love to the country.

 

I pray to our patron saint, San Juan Evangelista, to keep us strong, and to guide the day-by-day commitment of serving the Army and the Argentine People.