By U.S. Naval Forces Southern
Command
August 23, 2004
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The guided missile frigate USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and an Argentinean
P-3 aircraft patrol the northern approach to the Panama Canal in search
of a "suspect" vessel in support of PANAMAX 2004. Naval forces from
eight countries are participating in PANAMAX 2004, a naval exercise
designed to build up a coalition response to security threats against
the Panama Canal. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Ligia Cohen. |
ABOARD USS CROMMELIN (NNS) -- Naval and Coast Guard
forces from eight countries, led by Rear Adm. Vinson E. Smith, commander,
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and commander, Joint Task Force (CJTF)
138, conducted combined, joint surveillance and maritime interdiction operations
in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean to protect the Panama Canal against
simulated terrorist threats, as part of a PANAMAX 2004 training scenario
in August.
The exercise is designed to develop multinational responses to potential
security crises in the Panama Canal. After a crisis planning phase, the
participating units, organized in Coastal, Land, Air, Counter-mine, Caribbean
and Pacific task groups, were assigned the mission to conduct operations
in their area of responsibility in order to safeguard the Panama Canal and
ensure freedom of navigation in the most important waterway of the hemisphere.
Naval and Coast Guard forces from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican
Republic, Honduras, Panama, Peru and the United States, and observers from
Ecuador, came together under CJTF 138, working with Panamanian authorities
and U.S. Southern Command, in Miami, Fla., to prepare and implement responses
to security crises affecting the Panama Canal.
Strategically connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and enabling the
transit of 240 million tons of cargo every year, the Panama Canal is of
great interest for all participating countries.
"The Panama Canal is of utmost importance for us, and touches closely Colombia's
national interests. The natural reason of our interest is that Colombia
has coasts on two oceans, and they connect through the Panama Canal," said
Cmdr. Pablo Romero, commanding officer of the Colombian frigate ARC Almirante
Padilla (FM 53).
ARC Almirante Padilla, along with USCGC Legare (WMAC 912) and the guided-missile
frigate USS Crommelin (FFG 37) comprised the Caribbean Task Group (CTG),
which, led by Capt. Dave Costa was responsible for identifying, locating
and neutralizing "suspected" vessels posing a threat to the Panama Canal
from its northern approach.
"The Caribbean task group counted with the great experience of the Colombian
and U.S. Coast Guard in maritime interdiction operations," said Costa. "My
main focus as a CTG was to integrate that individual expertise in an environment
where all participants operate as a coalition."
Costa's counterpart in the Pacific was Chilean Navy Capt. Enrique Alvayay,
in charge of leading a task group comprised of Chilean ships BACH Zenteno
and BACH Micalvi, Peruvian ships BAP Mariategui and BAP Herrera, and the
Pascagoula, Miss.-based guided-missile frigate USS John L. Hall (FFG 32).
The Panamanian National Maritime Service was in charge of the coastal group
with patrol ships from Panama and Honduras, while the Panamanian National
Air Service was in charge of the air group, which included maritime surveillance
aircraft from Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Panama and the United States.
The two-week exercise not only provided great training for the joint staff,
ships' and aircrafts' crews, but also created communication lines between
agencies and governments that would be involved in case of an actual crisis.
"What an experience these last weeks have been. Joint Task Force 138 came
together two weeks ago, 1,825-strong with over 15 ships, 13 aircraft and
forces from the host nation," said Smith. "We came to Panama with a common
goal to improve our collective hemispheric abilities to operate in a combined,
joint, multinational force to counter potential water-borne threats to the
Panama Canal, its approaches and infrastructure."
The leadership and involvement of Panamanian organizations were key to the
success of the exercise.
"I salute the Panamanian authorities, the Panamanian services and the multinational
force for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the protection of
the Panama Canal: a national treasure for Panama and a global sea-line of
communication for the world economy," added Smith.
With only two years of existence, PANAMAX has made significant progress
in furthering theater security cooperation by bringing together nations
of the region to protect an asset of vital interest for the economies of
the hemisphere and the world.
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