UNITAS LXIV (64), the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise concluded with a closing ceremony in Cartagena, Colombia, July 21, 2023.
“Everybody participating has raised the bar, making this the best UNITAS we have ever been a part of,” said U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command. “By working together we can keep the Western Hemisphere free, secure, and prosperous. During an exercise like UNITAS we need to work our hardest, because when we work harder during an exercise it makes the real thing a second nature to us.”
UNITAS, which is Latin for “unity,” was conceived in 1959, first executed in 1960 and held every year since. This year marked the 64th iteration of the world’s longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise.
The Colombian Navy hosted this year’s UNITAS, which featured 26 warships/vessels, three submarines, 25 aircraft (fixed wing/helicopter), and approximately 7,000 people from 20 partner nations. Forces conducted operations off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, and ashore in Covenas and Barranquilla, Colombia.
In addition to the United States, UNITAS LXIV brought together 19 nations from all over the world to train forces in joint maritime operations that enhance tactical proficiency and increase interoperability. Participating nations included Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Spain, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.
Following the UNITAS LXIV Opening Ceremony on July 12, the in-port phase of the exercise featured subject matter expert exchanges, professional symposia, ship rider exchanges, and operations meetings. During this time, Marines and sailors conducted expeditionary training events in Covenas to include riverine operations and diving and salvage operations.
During the Underway Phase, forces participated in events testing all warfare operations, to include live-fire exercises such as a SINKEX and an amphibious ship-to-shore landing and force retraction.
An addition to this year’s UNITAS was the presence of unmanned air, surface, and subsurface systems. As part of the U.S. Navy’s future hybrid fleet, the Chief of Naval Operations had tasked U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet to scale unmanned platforms to the fleet level.
