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Multinational Exercise Kicks Off for Panama Canal

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050808-19
Release Date: 8/8/2005 5:34:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class Lucinda Thierry, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Public Affairs

PANAMA CITY, Panama (NNS) -- Interdependence and cooperation were the dominant themes during the opening ceremonies at Hotel El Panama for FUERZAS ALIADAS PANAMAX 2005, a training exercise in defense of the Panama Canal involving 15 countries from Aug. 4-17.

“Our mission is to build teamwork and trust, standardized tactics and procedures toward cooperative approaches to hemispheric security. Through PANAMAX 2005, we will strengthen our interoperability and increase our regional capabilities to assist in the defense of the Panama Canal,” said Rear Adm. Vinson E. Smith, commander of the multinational force under Combined Joint Task Force 138.

With six more participating nations than last year’s PANAMAX and 12 more than the first exercise in 2003, countries are demonstrating “the importance that the international community places on free trade, security and stability worldwide,” said Smith.

This year’s scenario-based exercise is held in the Caribbean and Pacific approaches to the Panama Canal and includes naval forces from host nation Panamá, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru and the United States, and observers from Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Mexico and Uruguay.

The exercise was designed by a team of expert naval planners from the previously mentioned nations to support two objectives: first, ensure freedom of navigation and second, increase interoperability of nations with critical interest in the Panama Canal.

“PANAMAX is a complex mission that will demand a lot of energy from all participants, taking liberty of action in perfecting our capacity to confront and dissuade any adversary,” Panamanian National Maritime Services Director Rear Adm. Ricardo Traad said.

The exercise builds on a concept of layered defense. The goal of layered defense is to establish concentric rings of security, making it difficult to attack while enabling defending forces to respond at the earliest possible time.

Panamanian Minister of Government and Justice Hector Aleman expressed that although Panama is a “small country,” its role in international trade makes it important to the world.

The Panama Canal is critical to the free flow of trade and goods in the Western Hemisphere and the entire world. The region's economy and stability largely depend on the safe transport of several hundred million tons of cargo that transit through the canal every year.

“Although we are a demilitarized country, we do not lose sight of our commitment, within the permanent neutrality of the waterway, to ensure that all navies of the world can pass through our waters safely and expeditiously,” said Aleman.