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Navy, Coast Guard Depart Rio de Janeiro for Atlantic Phase Exercises of UNITAS 52

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110502-08
5/2/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Steve Smith, Southern Seas 2011 Public Affairs

USS NITZE, At Sea (NNS) -- U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships along with ships from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina departed Rio de Janeiro May 2, after several days in port preparing for the second half of the Atlantic (LANT) phase of UNITAS 52.

Guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94), guided-missile frigates USS Thach (FFG 43) and USS Boone (FFG 28), and USCGC Escanaba (WMEC 907) spent six days with the South American navies conducting exercise safety briefs, scenario planning, receptions, and various tours and activities.

"The importance of the Rio de Janeiro port visit was to allow the participants to conduct safety briefs and planning for the upcoming exercise scenario phase," said Capt. Marc Weeks, Task Group 138.0 commander. "It also provided the navies time to interact in a social setting and to provide liberty for the crews."

The U.S. and South American ships will begin the next phase with joint aviation training and a series of live-fire weapons exercises.

"We will conduct our advanced training to include a very complex missile and gunnery exercise against an aerial drone and a surface gunnery event against a high-speed maneuverable target," said Weeks.

The second portion will culminate with the Exercise Scenario Phase (ESP), which deals with maritime security operations in support of mock U.N. imposed sanctions. The partner navies will divide into two teams and participate in events focusing on counter-illicit trafficking, which include counter-piracy, illegal arms smuggling and human trafficking. The exercise will culminate in a force-on-force maritime battle that exercises international rules of engagement and demonstrates the operational application of maritime security.

"UNITAS is an important exercise for the U.S. and our partners because the U.S. nor any individual country can provide complete security across the maritimes; the environment is simply too large," said Weeks. "We believe it's absolutely vital to our collective security and prosperity that regional maritime security services partner toward providing security throughout the region."

UNITAS, Latin for "unity," is a combined South American and U.S.-sponsored annual exercise series. Active participants for UNITAS LANT 52 include Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Chile.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.