marcelo_malara wrote: But there is one think that continues to strike me: if Argentina (which had far fewer reasons to have a carrier force) managed to get two carriers and developed Naval aviation, the Soviet Union must have built a carrier force, at least for the case that things demostrated that it was needed.
But Argentina has or had different strategic priorities to countries such as Russia.
Russia has always been primarily a land power, with a vast hinterland to develop and access to the sea being difficult due to physical climate. Part of its maritime interests - Alaska - was even sold to the US back in 1867. The strategic position of the USSR would have been different and far stronger if the frontier state had been part of the USSR....
Argentina has a long coastline with easy access to Atlantic. Like Russia it had an underdeveloped hinterland, but unlike Russia no serious external land threat. Russia has been involved in countless land wars, usually on the losing side (in that I include the First World War which for Russia ended with the treaty of Brest-Litovsk).
Argentina has only been involved in one land war, in the 1860's, which took place outside most of its territory.
Argentine leaders therefore placed greater importance on a maritime tradition and development than Russia - trading relationships were almost exclusively seaborne, unlike Russia, predominently a land-borne trader for whom railways were more important than ships.
Possession of large naval forces for countries such as Brazil and Argentina would be in their strategic interests, particulary for Argentina with its ambitions on the Malvinas, Georgia and Antarctica, and carriers would be the appropriate weapon.
Whilst Argentina lacked the wealth and industrial power to possess a navy of NATO standards I think that better use and more forward planning with the resources they did have could have yielded better results, and the Argentines could have collaborated with other navies such as the French Navy more than they did.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.