Naval engineer Captain Luis Carlos Camaño, head of the Naval Engineering Department at the Panamanian National Air and Naval Service’s (SENAN) Naval Maintenance Directorate, has dedicated 12 years to public service, 11 of them focused on maintaining and improving SENAN’s operations. Capt. Camaño, who honed his skills at the Naval Academy of Mexico and the Naval Academy of Spain, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his position.
Diálogo had the opportunity to speak with Capt. Camaño during the U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) Senior Leader Logistics Symposium (SLLS), held June 4-5 at SOUTHCOM headquarters in Doral, Florida.
Diálogo: What is your specific role in SENAN’s National Naval Maintenance Directorate?
Captain Luis Carlos Camaño, head of the Naval Engineering Department at SENAN’s Naval Maintenance Directorate: I have been working in the Naval Maintenance Directorate for 11 years. I am currently working in the planning and control process, developing all the schedules for the maintenance area, as well as monitoring project management, continuous improvements in processes, and vessels’ life cycle.
Diálogo: The National Naval Maintenance Directorate focuses on the life cycle maintenance of SENAN’s naval assets. What is your strategic vision for logistics, the main topic of the Senior Leader Logistics symposium, to ensure this mission?
Capt. Camaño: We plan to acquire a technology platform that integrates all our logistics to streamline the procurement process. This is a tool that will allow us to identify risks during the procurement of a product, spare part, or supplies. This will streamline the logistics chain for the various maintenance activities.
Diálogo: One of the hottest topics during the SLLS 2024 and again during this year’s edition is the Theater Maintenance Partnership Initiative (TMPI), a SOUTHCOM-sponsored program. What can you tell us about the Maintenance Center of Excellence that Panama will host?
Capt. Camaño: It’s an initiative that began in 2024. We have been developing this Center of Excellence through SOUTHCOM, in conjunction with other programs through the U.S. Embassy, where we can develop training capabilities. We have a maintenance school where we provide internal training, units that develop their knowledge in each technical area that makes up a naval platform and can quickly respond to any type of required maintenance.
We want to project ourselves as a regional benchmark in training. We also have agreements with state universities that help us develop curricula and certify the training we provide, enabling us to obtain internationally recognized certification.
Diálogo: How important will this center be for SENAN’s mission and for national security?
Capt. Camaño: The creation of this Center of Excellence is very important. Human resources are critical to us, as is ongoing training. We currently live in an area where technological development is on the rise, where we have to update our technicians to keep up with the demands of vessels equipped with new technologies, so we don’t fall behind. If not, we will have inoperative vessels that won’t fulfill their specific role, their operational missions, the ongoing fight against drug trafficking, among others. So, keeping up to date and continuous training are important to us. This will be possible through the creation of this Center of Excellence, for continuous improvement in training.
Diálogo: What other types of cooperation exist with the United States for the training of SENAN maintenance personnel?
Capt. Camaño: Apart from this initiative around maintenance, in the Air and Naval Service there are other types of agreements and programs for the training of personnel at the operational level, such as the Marines and Aeronaval commandos who work more in the area of operations. These are collaborations through a program for the continuous training of units.
Diálogo: In late May, the U.S. Embassy delivered 16 reinforced pneumatic boats and 32 engines to SENAN. What are the training requirements for personnel to operate and maintain these specific boats? Does U.S. personnel participate in this training?
Capt. Camaño: With the delivery of these boats, which was not just for the SENAN but for all institutions, the National Police and the National Border Service (SENAFRONT), we have had support from the United States in training, mainly in propulsion and maintenance systems, in a variety of levels and to be able to perform engine overhauls. We have had this support to strengthen these units specifically in the operational area.
Diálogo: In 2026, the Missouri National Guard (MONG) and Panama will celebrate their 30th anniversary under the State Partnership Program. How important is this alliance for SENAN?
Capt. Camaño: It’s an alliance that is quite important to SENAN, mainly in the aviation area, where we have carried out joint operations, such as joint operations in the event of fires, which has strengthened those relationships. That growth in knowledge of how to carry out different kinds of operations has been continuous. Similarly, we’ve established ties with the naval and maritime sectors, and we are in the process of collaborating to see how we can work together and where we can expand, whether in knowledge or operational development.
Diálogo: How important is it for SENAN to participate in regional symposiums such as SOUTHCOM’s SLLS?
Capt. Camaño: It’s very important, mainly because we learn firsthand about the needs of other countries. In addition, we learn about the strengths of these countries, which we can then implement within the SENAN and grow gradually. In addition, we can see a little further ahead, the development of the industrial area and how we can implement the technological development carried out by industries within our means, whether air or naval, and also see the collaboration that exists between industry and security institutions in improving planning, sustainment, and maintenance processes, and the logistics chain, which is sometimes affected and prolongs maintenance activities.
