U.S. Army South Conducts Exercise PANAMAX 2016 with Partner Nations from Central and South America and the Caribbean

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, July 29, 2016 – U.S. Army South hosts PANAMAX 2016, an annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored multinational exercise focused on ensuring the security of the Panama Canal and the surrounding region.

The exercise runs from July 29 to August 4 at multiple U.S. military bases and in Santiago, Chile.  U.S. Army South and representatives from 12 partner nations form the Multi-National Forces South headquarters and operate from a training location on Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

This year’s exercise includes significant firsts: each of the land, sea, and air commands will be led by Chile, Peru and Colombia, respectively. In addition, Brazil will serve as the Deputy Commander of the Multinational Force.   

In total, nineteen nations will join the United States during the seven-day exercise and will use simulations to command and control multinational notional sea, air, cyber and land forces defending the vital waterway and surrounding areas against threats from violent extremism and to provide for humanitarian relief, as necessary.

Nations scheduled to participate this year include: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and the United States.

Panamax has evolved over the years and now includes training for many of the 21st-century threats encountered in today’s land, sea, air and cyber environments. The exercise aims to increase the ability of nations to work together, enable assembled forces to organize as a multination task force and test their responsiveness in combined operations.

The Panama Canal is considered one of the most strategically and economically crucial pieces of infrastructure in the world. Six percent of the world’s trade travels through the canal every year, accounting for roughly 400 million tons of goods. It is crucial to the free flow of trade worldwide, officials noted, and the region’s economic stability is largely dependent on the safe transport of several million tons of cargo through the canal each year.

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Media Advisory:

Media are invited August 3 from 3-4 p.m. to film at Fort Sam Houston. Media representatives who wish to attend must contact the Army South Public Affairs office at (210) 295-6739, (210) 295-6693, or (210) 889-7044 no later than 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3.  The meet time is 3 p.m. Aug. 3 at the visitor center located outside the Harry Wurzbach gate.  Media will be able to photograph and obtain b-roll of the MNF-S operations center, followed by interview opportunities with U.S. Army South and partner nation participants.