Marón, Gustavo Flashes in the Dark. Volume 3: USAF Nuclear Espionage in Argentina, 1967–1974

Volume 54 of the "Latin America @ War" series sheds light on one of the least-known aspects of Cold War military history: the secret flight missions conducted by the United States Air Force in Argentina. Drawing on over twenty years of researchincorporating archives, photographs, and eyewitness accountsthe series reveals how the USAF carried out covert operations on Argentine soil and in its airspace under the guise of meteorological and scientific work, often without the knowledge of local authorities. The third volume of "Flashes in the Dark" concludes the story of US nuclear espionage operations in Argentina. It begins with the exposure of the US contingent's true purpose at El Plumerillo Airporta revelation stemming from the persistent efforts of Argentine journalists in 1968; their original reports are presented here in English for the first time. Despite this development, US operations actually intensified when French nuclear testing in the South Pacific resumed in 1970. This led to the deployment of unprecedented numbers of Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F and Boeing WC-135B reconnaissance aircraft to analyze radioactive fallout. However, as Volume 3 details, the political situation in Argentina and the wider region deteriorated rapidly. Before long, the US mission in Argentina was entangled not only in nuclear espionage but also in the power struggle for control of the country and the dramatic events of the 1973 coup in neighboring Chile. Based on extensive research, author Gustavo Marón weaves these records into an extraordinary "symphony"one performed in Argentina over the course of fifteen years under the strictest secrecy.