Central American countries join forces to combat transnational criminal organizations. Success against transnational criminal networks is “shared success,” said U.S. Navy Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), during his opening remarks to ministers of defense, chiefs of General Staff, and other conference participants at the 2018 [ … ]
International Relations
Brazilian Armed Forces Train for Urban Environment Ops
Brazilian service members receive training for law enforcement missions that increase in frequency in the country. According to the Brazilian Constitution, the mission of the Armed Forces is to ensure the country’s defense, guarantee constitutional powers, and enforce law and order. The guarantee of law and order (GLO) was among [ … ]
U.S. Army South Trains Armed Force of El Salvador
The training will improve service members’ border protection capacities and the fight against gangs and trafficking. U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) is training five specialized commands of the Armed Force of El Salvador (FAES, in Spanish). The courses focus on new search procedures, information, and intelligence gathering in high-crime areas and [ … ]
Largest Simulated Peacekeeping Mission Exercise Held in Brazil
Viking 2018 involved 2,500 participants from 50 countries. For the first time a non-European country took part in hosting the event. The Brazilian Army (EB, in Portuguese) Headquarters in Brasília operated as one of the remote sites for the Viking 2018 exercise, April 16th–26th. This was the first time a [ … ]
Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay hold 2018 Trilateral War Game
The three countries’ navies met in Buenos Aires for an exercise that simulated the use of a combined force in the region. Naval authorities from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay increased their level of interoperability with the 2018 Trilateral War Game. Held April 9th–13th, the exercise brought together 21 officers from [ … ]
RIMPAC 2018: Chilean Navy Leads Maritime Component
For the first time, a non-English speaking navy will lead the maritime component of the multinational exercise. The Chilean Navy will take on the role of Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) in the 26th Rim of the Pacific 2018 (RIMPAC) exercise. The world’s largest multinational maritime exercise, hosted by [ … ]
Colombia and the Dominican Republic Hold Caribe VII Exercise
The air forces of both countries conducted a nighttime target hand-off simulation aimed at protecting airspace. The Colombian Air Force (FAC, in Spanish) and the Dominican Air Force (FARD, in Spanish) set important parameters for their future combined fight against narcotrafficking and transnational crime. In February 2018, the Caribe VII [ … ]
Central American Firefighters Train with U.S. Service Members
The CENTAM SMOKE exercise reinforced Central American firefighters’ skills. At the end of April 2018, Central American firefighters gained additional knowledge and experience through a U.S. Southern Command- (SOUTHCOM) sponsored exercise, under Joint Task Force Bravo’s (JTF-Bravo) leadership. The Central America Sharing Mutual Knowledge and Experience exercise (CENTAM SMOKE) took [ … ]
El Salvador Ramps Up MINUSMA Air Deployment
The new units will reinforce terrorist group deterrence tasks and humanitarian aid following attacks.The Salvadoran Air Force (FAS, in Spanish) will ramp up its air contingent as part of the United Nations Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA, in French) in Mali. Units will deploy to Timbuktu, where the Salvadoran mission, [ … ]
Brazil-U.S. Interoperability Builds Trust
For the first time, Brazil and the United States met to promote interoperability between the two countries. The complexity of security threats demand deeper collaboration between partner nations in the Western Hemisphere. As security cooperation becomes increasingly important, Brazil and the United States integrate their capabilities into more secure structures [ … ]
Honduras and the Dominican Republic Promote Navy Cadet Exchange
The navies of both countries strengthen the bonds of friendship through education.In early January 2018, a Honduran naval cadet entered the Vice Admiral César Augusto De Windt Lavandier Naval Academy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Cadet Darwin José Pinto Osorto will study at the Dominican Naval Academy until 2021. His [ … ]
Colombian President Visits, Thanks SOUTHCOM for its Support
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos visited U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) April 25 to thank command personnel for their steadfast support to his country’s security efforts. During the visit, Santos presented the Department of Defense’s geographic unified command with his country’s Order of San Carlos (Orden de San Carlos) Medal for [ … ]