Crisis in Argentina’s Armed Forces as poor salaries lead to exodus

Argentina’s economic crisis shows no sign of slowing and wages across much of the national economy remain below any acceptable standard of consumption. This has triggered a crisis of major proportions within the Armed Forces, and most acutely in the Navy, where vocation alone can no longer sustain those whose pay is little short of meagre.

The La Libertad Avanza government, which in its campaign platform promised to restore dignity to the military after years of Kirchnerite ideology that consistently treated the uniformed forces with disdain, is now facing enormous budgetary problems. President Javier Milei’s “chainsaw” austerity policy, combined with the inertia of a Defence Ministry team led by Luis Petri – unable even to put the military’s health insurer IOSFA in order – has deepened the crisis. The Navy Hospital is facing lay-offs of more than 500 workers, according to the ATE state-workers union. The worst news of all is the steady loss of professionally trained officers who are unable to make ends meet.

In this context, Defence Minister Luis Petri convened a meeting with the Navy’s top brass to assess the situation amid the wave of resignations.

As of July, 234 Navy officers and non-commissioned officers had requested discharge. Such numbers are unprecedented in recent years and reach double that by the end of 2025.

Several key factors underpin what is becoming a structural crisis, driven by persistently harsh economic conditions. The exodus is not about a loss of vocation or commitment, but about rock-bottom wages and a lack of career prospects. The absence of an upward professional path – particularly affecting the middle ranks – is also pushing officers out.

Salaries remain close to the poverty line, despite pay increases in October 2024, March 2025 and August 2025. The constant availability required and the demands of military life are driving trained personnel into the private sector.

According to Resolution 63/25 published in the Official Gazette, which sets pay through the end of the year, there are shocking salary scales, with some grades barely exceeding 500,000 pesos.

The following monthly figures reveal where the gaps begin, notably at lieutenant commander level, a post carrying major responsibilities but that is rewarded with just over one million pesos.

– Lieutenant General, Admiral, Air Brigadier General: 2,716,506 pesos
– Divisional General, Vice Admiral, Major Air Brigadier: 2,422,525 pesos
– Brigadier General, Rear Admiral, Brigadier: 2,207,161 pesos
– Colonel, Navy Captain, Commodore: 1,933,279 pesos
– Lieutenant Colonel, Frigate Captain, Vice Commodore: 1,680,891 pesos
– Major, Corvette Captain: 1,324,263 pesos
– Captain, Lieutenant Commander: 1,096,752 pesos
– First Lieutenant, Frigate Lieutenant, First Ensign: 975,496 pesos
– Lieutenant, Corvette Lieutenant: 879,442 pesos
– Second Lieutenant, Midshipman, Ensign: 796,487 pesos
– Senior Non-Commissioned Officer: 1,358,251 pesos
– Principal NCO: 1,204,122 pesos
– Sergeant Assistant, First NCO, NCO Assistant: 1,067,470 pesos
– First Sergeant, Second NCO, Auxiliary NCO: 938,959 pesos
– Sergeant, Leading Corporal: 842,972 pesos
– First Corporal: 756,518 pesos
– Corporal, Second Corporal: 700,201 pesos
– Volunteer 1st Class, Seaman 1st Class: 637,789 pesos
– Volunteer 2nd Class, Seaman 2nd Class: 590,214 pesos

The scale of the crisis becomes clear when noting that a second class seaman earns less than 600,000 pesos a month – an amount an Uber driver can make in a week.

Low pay crisis across all three forces

Although Petri’s meeting with admirals has focused attention on the Navy, the situation is mirrored in the Air Force and Army.

By late June, more than 2,200 service members across the three branches had requested discharge. Beyond the 234 sailors, there were 257 Army officers and 193 Air Force pilots who resigned.

The crisis spans the entire country. In Córdoba Province, many officers have moved to serve in the provincial anti-narcotics force under Governor Martín Llaryora.

The consequences are severe: an irreparable loss of human resources trained in elite units and critical research areas, and a weakening of the quality and availability of key national defence capacities.

Only greater funding, material resources and the necessary time to train new cohorts will be able to address this problem in the face of an increasingly complex global geopolitical climate.