As part of preparations for the “Land SAR 2011” combined exercise, which the Chilean Army will conduct with its Argentine counterpart at the end of August this year, in Chilean Antarctic territory, Chilean military personnel from the O’Higgins exploration group travelled to the Mackenna Pass sector, located 34 kilometers south of the Antarctic peninsula, to install an emergency logistical support post.
As part of preparations for the “Land SAR 2011” combined exercise, which the Chilean Army will conduct with its Argentine counterpart at the end of August this year, in Chilean Antarctic territory, Chilean military personnel from the O’Higgins exploration group travelled to the Mackenna Pass sector, located 34 kilometers south of the Antarctic peninsula, to install an emergency logistical support post.
This consists of a Weatherhaven tent, specially designed for extreme climates, capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -50º and winds of 160 kilometers per hour. Its chief characteristics are its ease and speed in set-up and assembly, enabling it to provide shelter and greater logistical capacity to personnel conducting reconnaissance, exploration, and scientific activities in this area.
Along with this, radio and satellite communications links were established to the different entities that will participate in the mentioned exercise, chiefly the Argentine Army’s “Esperanza” [“Hope”] base and the different Navy, Air Force, and Army units involved.
The O’Higgins exploration group, part of the Army’s military base in Antarctica, is made up of mountaineering specialists, operators of communications equipment, mechanics, and nurses who carry out expeditions in the northern part of the white continent, using special equipment and protective clothing for extreme conditions.