Military

U.S., Chilean Navies Meet, Discuss Engagements for 2008

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS071114-19
Release Date: 11/14/2007 4:52:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Alan Gragg, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- Delegates from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard met with members of the Chilean Navy Nov. 8-9 to discuss interactions and cooperation between their navies for 2008, during the U.S. Navy and Armada de Chile (Chilean Navy) Operational Naval Committee (ONC Chile) conference.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO) in Mayport, Fla., hosted this year's conference. ONC Chile is an annual conference to plan and agree to the various exercises and theater security cooperation events the U.S. and Chile intend to conduct for the upcoming year.

The ONC brings together representatives from the U.S. and Chilean Navy so they can meet face-to-face to discuss their country's mutual goals of maritime security in Latin America.

"This is the most important, and the only bi-lateral meeting to manage different initiatives in order to improve interoperability, mutual trust and partnership," said Chilean Capt. Francisco Garcia-Huidobro. "This ONC will enhance the different operational activities throughout 2008 and will increase our mutual support and historically excellent relationship."

ONC Chile resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding, signed this year by Garcia-Huidobro and NAVSO Director of Exercises and Theater Security Cooperation, Capt. Steven Blaisdell, which outlined the discussed plans for U.S. and Chilean interactions for the coming year.

The ONCs support the U.S. Navy's new Maritime Strategy, which emphasizes cooperative relationships with international partners, because of the agreements they produce, and engagements they lead to.

For more information on NAVSO, go to http://www.cusns.navy.mil .

For more information on the Chilean Navy, go to http://www.armada.cl/english .

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/cusns/.