US Navy SEALs trained in maritime dominance with 20 partner forces in Colombia at the annual UNITAS multinational exercise.
UNITAS aims to strengthen the interoperability and collective capability of allied nations’ naval special warfare teams in response to next-generation maritime threats.
During the exercise, the SEALs and Colombian special forces practiced landing and launching rubber raiding craft from the USS Pasadena (SSN 752) Los Angeles-class attack submarine.
Activities focused on enhancing participants’ defense strategies in boarding, search, and seizure missions, submarine operations, and close combat.
In other training sessions, the SEALs teamed with special forces counterparts from Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru, and France to practice deployment in confined spaces.
“UNITAS provided a unique opportunity to work with [US Southern Command] aligned special operations forces in the region, to advance our skills and train toward contingency operations,” a SEAL commander stated.
“Working alongside our partner nations adds another degree of interoperability, while demonstrating to our allies why we remain the partner of choice in the SOUTHCOM AOR, and sends a message of a united Western Hemisphere.”
UNITAS Exercise
UNITAS was launched in the late 1950s in Panama. Among the event’s initial goals was to develop a common communication system among navies.
This year’s iteration featured 26 vessels, three submarines, 25 fighter jets, and about 7,000 military personnel.
Most of the operations were facilitated off the coast and ashore in Cartagena, Covenas, and Barranquilla, Colombia.
According to the US Navy, the drills exhibited the US commitment to sustain maritime security, protect international law, and secure governments’ inherent right to freedom at sea.
“Trust, proficiency, and interoperability are core tenets of our partnerships as we work together to advance our common interests in the Western Hemisphere, maintaining the stability and security necessary for economic prosperity,” US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said.
