Colombian and U.S. soldiers set up communications in a warehouse, August 7 at Fort Sam Houston in preparation for Fuerzas Aliadas Panamax. Commonly known as PANAMAX, the U. S. Southern Command sponsored exercise brings U. S. Army South and 17 other partner nation military air and land sea forces together in a joint and combined operation focused on defending the Panama Canal from attacks by 'violent extremist organizations.' (Photo by Sgt Tamika Exom)
Commonly known as PANAMAX, the exercise brings together sea, air and land forces in a joint and combined operation focused on defending the Panama Canal from attacks by a violent extremist organization as well as responding to natural disasters and pandemic outbreaks in various locations.
This year, in addition to the United States, Brazil and Colombia, hundreds of participants from Argentina, Belize, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru will take part in the overall exercise.
“The multinational staff shows the full interoperability of our forces and partner nations,” said Maj. Gen. Simeon G. Trombitas, U.S. Army South commanding general.
This major multinational exercise has grown dramatically since 2003, when Panama, Chile and the United States conducted the first exercise.