“The devastation of NSA Bahrain is a national security warning” –Defense News

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Smoke rises after Iran carried out a missile strike on the main headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Defense News reports,

“”The more we learn about the attacks on the U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Manama, Bahrain, during the opening days of Operation Epic Fury, the clearer it becomes why the news of its near destruction was not initially reported or acknowledged.

“Extensive damage to one of our most significant forward bases in the Middle East is likely to have profound tactical and strategic repercussions that are only now coming into focus.”

What did we loose when the six patrol boats left 5th Fleet and the squadron became “expeditionary?”

PATFORSWA was the largest Coast Guard unit outside the US. It included a training facility to train boarding parties and the patrol craft made a number of seizures including drugs (here and here) and arms being smuggling to Yemen (here and here). The cutters could be maintained in their homeport.

PATFORSWA had a long term continuing relationship with 5th fleet including Unmanned system experiments over many years.

Two MANTAS T-12 unmanned surface vessels operate alongside a U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat during exercise New Horizon in the Arabian Gulf. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dawson Roth)

Birmingham Southern Campus Up and Running / FORCECOM Relocating There

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Below is an HQ news release. Apparently teaching has already begun and FORCECOM is moving there, meaning it is going to be more than a training center. More info here.

Aug. 31, 2026

MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard to commemorate first graduating class at TRACEN-Birmingham Southern

WASHINGTON – Adm. Thomas Allan, vice commandant, U.S. Coast Guard will preside over Training Center (TRACEN) Birmingham Southern’s first graduation ceremony and host a press gaggle.

This Leadership and Management School graduation is a significant milestone for TRACEN Birmingham, which opened in June 2026. It follows on the heels of Rear Adm. M.T. Brown’s arrival in Birmingham and the flag raising ceremony held in his honor, a symbolic first step in the Coast Guard Force Readiness Command’s (FORCECOM) relocation from Norfolk, Virginia, and New London, Connecticut. Currently, 44 FORCECOM personnel are already serving in Birmingham full time.

Who: Adm. Thomas Allan, vice commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

What: Graduation ceremony for the first Leadership and Management School class

When: Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. (ceremony), 12:30 p.m. (press gaggle)

Where: Norton Theater, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, Alabama

Setup: Media should arrive no later than 10 a.m. for equipment setup and badging.

Logistics: Event parking is available at Bill Battle Coliseum. Please bring a valid, government-issued ID for access.

RSVP by 11 a.m. on Wednesday Sept. 2 to Steven.D.Roth@uscg.mil.

Direct media inquiries to mediarelations@uscg.mil.

What a Little Ship Can Do / Junior Officer Experience

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Coast Guard Lt. Raymond J. Cerrato III and Lt. John “Jack” P. Stone pose for a photo after the change of command of the Fast Response Cutter Oliver Henry (WPC 1140), Apra Harbor, Guam, Aug. 21, 2026. Stone, a native of Atlanta, relieved Cerrato as commanding officer of the Sentinel-class fast response cutter. Cerrato, a native of Melbourne, Fla., led Oliver Henry through more than 75,000 nautical miles of operations across Oceania and the Micronesian subregion. During his three years in command, Oliver Henry and crew conducted search and rescue missions, law enforcement, disaster response, diplomatic engagements and partner-nation operations in support of U.S. Coast Guard missions throughout the region. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Lisa Ferdinando)

Below is a news release from U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia / Sector Guam.

I don’t normally pass along reports of Change of Command but I thought this one was remarkable in two ways, what this little ship has done in the last three years and the depth of experience the new commanding officer brings to the job. Lt Stone has been out of the Academy only a little more than four years but all that time was afloat.

Aug. 31, 2026

New commanding officer takes the helm of Fast Response Cutter Oliver Henry

SANTA RITA, Guam — Lt. John “Jack” P. Stone relieved Lt. Raymond J. Cerrato III as commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) during a change of command ceremony in Apra Harbor, Aug. 21, 2026.

Cmdr. Grant Johnson, chief of response, U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia / Sector Guam, presided over the ceremony.

Cerrato, a native of Melbourne, Fla., led Oliver Henry through more than 75,000 nautical miles of operations across Oceania and the Micronesian subregion. During his command, the cutter and crew conducted search and rescue missions, law enforcement, disaster response, diplomatic engagements and partner-nation operations in support of U.S. Coast Guard missions throughout the region.

During Cerrato’s three-year command, Oliver Henry and crew:

  • Rescued 28 people in multiple, multi-agency responses
  • Responded to Super Typhoons Mawar and Sinlaku, facilitating the reopening of critical ports in Rota and Tinian
  • Delivered more than 45,000 pounds of relief supplies to remote Pacific communities in support of Operation Rematau and in response to Super Typhoons Mawar, Sinlaku, and Bavi
  • Conducted more than 30 Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission boardings
  • Executed bilateral shiprider agreements with Palau, FSM, Marshall Islands and Kiribati to combat transnational criminal organization activity
  • Executed the first U.S.-Kiribati shiprider agreement patrol in 8 years
  • Made historic port calls, including the first U.S. ship visit to Nauru, also known as the Republic of Naoero, and the first Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter visits to Tarawa and Rota
  • Completed more than 60 professional exchanges with regional maritime police forces

Stone, a native of Atlanta, earned his commission in 2022 from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where he received a Bachelor of Science in management. He previously served aboard the Coast Guard cutter Mohawk (WMEC 913) as an electronics material officer, weapons officer and assistant operations officer. In 2024, he began a two-year assignment aboard the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge, where he served as a navigator.

Oliver Henry arrived in Guam Sept 2022, and is one of four Fast Response Cutters homeported in Guam, along with the Coast Guard cutter Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143), Coast Guard cutter Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), and Coast Guard cutter Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139).

The cutter is named in honor of Oliver T. Henry, Jr., an African American enlisted Coast Guardsman who served from 1940 to1966. Henry broke the services color barrier after becoming the first African American to transfer from the mess steward rating, then an all-black rating, to another rating – motor machinist.

“Interdiction of Narco-Terrorist Refueling Vessel, Aug. 28, 2026” –SOUTHCOM

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Below is a news release from SOUTHCOM.

I love it. They boarded the vessel and took custody of the crew before sinking the vessel. Hopefully they will be the source of additional intelligence.

The video above shows that they were towing four smaller vessels. Were these small boats carrying drugs? They don’t say.

The news release doesn’t say where this happened but since it was done in cooperation with Ecuador it had to have been in the Eastern Pacific. We have seen previous interceptions that happened in the Area of the Galápagos Islands which are Ecuadorian territory.

Other video on Youtube indicates a destroyer may also have been involved in the operation.

How the vessel was sunk is not indicated in the news release, but the video suggests that it was machine-gun fire rather than something like a Hellfire.

Aug. 28, 2026

Interdiction of Narco-Terrorist Refueling Vessel, Aug. 28, 2026

On Aug. 28, at the direction of U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, and in coordination and collaboration with the Government of Ecuador, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station in support of illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations in international waters of the Eastern Pacific. Intelligence confirmed the vessel, previously identified and targeted under Department of the Treasury sanctions, was operating in support of the Los Choneros violent narco-terrorist organization.

U.S. Marines and Sailors, launched from USS San Antonio (LPD 17), interdicted, boarded, searched, and cleared the vessel without incident. Individuals removed from the vessel were safely escorted to Ecuador. Once cleared, U.S. forces sank the vessel.

This interdiction cuts off a critical node in the traffickers’ logistics chain and advances the goals of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) and JTF-WHEM to dismantle narco-terrorist networks. The Department of War and the A3C remain unwavering in their mission to defeat narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere and defend our homeland.

“Today’s operation is a stark example of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition’s power to dismantle the sophisticated, clandestine narco-terrorist tactics and capabilities that have enabled the trafficking of dangerous drugs destined for American communities. Working together with our Ecuadorian partners, our coalition dealt a decisive blow to a narco-terrorist operation responsible for moving significant amounts of drugs through the region. Together with our regional partners, we are committed to defeating narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere.” — U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan

“Austal USA starts construction on USCGC Ingham” / Austal’s #3

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Below is an Austal news release. This is the third of up to eleven Offshore Patrol Cutters to be built by Austal under the current contract.

Construction began on the first, the future USCGC Pickering (WMSM-919), on 29 August 2024. Keel was laid December 8, 2025. Delivery is expected in 2027.

Austal USA began construction of the future USCGC Icarus (WMSM-920) August 5, 2025.

The first three ships were to be delivered one per year. The remaining ships are to be delivered two per year.

Something has happened here that you may have missed. Ingham was to have been the third Eastern built OPC. The transfer of the name to Austal’s third ship is additional confirmation that Eastern’s #3 and #4 OPC will never be built.

I have seen no new contracts to complete USCGC Argus and Chase since the June 2026 cancellation of Eastern’s contract.

August 27, 2026

Mobile, Ala. – Austal USA has started construction on its third U.S. Coast Guard Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), the future USCGC Ingham, at the company’s Mobile, Ala. ship manufacturing facility. Ingham is being built under a contract that includes options for up to 11 cutters and has a current potential value of $3.3 billion.

“Each new OPC moving into production demonstrates how far our steel shipbuilding team has come,” Austal USA President Gene Miller said. “Ingham will give the Coast Guard the endurance, flexibility and offshore capability it needs to protect our nation’s maritime interests. We are committed to building a strong, serial production program for this important class of cutters.”

Austal USA uses a modular construction approach designed to increase production efficiency and allow a high percentage of each module to be outfitted before final assembly. The company’s engineering and production teams also developed a detailed 3D model of the cutter early in the design process to support planning, coordination and construction.

The OPC program will recapitalize the Coast Guard’s aging medium endurance cutter fleet and provide a capability bridge between the service’s national security cutters, which operate in the open ocean, and fast response cutters, which operate closer to shore.

The 360-foot OPC will provide the majority of the Coast Guard’s offshore presence, conducting missions including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, and search and rescue. With a range of 10,200 nautical miles at 14 knots and a 60-day endurance period, each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of a task group and serving as a mobile command-and-control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response and mass migration incidents. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by helping regulate and protect emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska.

With the start of Ingham, Austal USA has three OPCs under construction: the future USCGC Pickering, USCGC Icarus, and USCGC Ingham. Together, these cutters anchor Austal USA’s growing steel shipbuilding portfolio, which also currently includes construction of four Landing Craft Utility vessels, three Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ships, an Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium, and submarine modules supporting the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine programs.

“Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returns home following 75-day patrol” –District Oceania

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U.S. Chargé d’affaires and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Wale sign a bilateral maritime law enforcement agreement on the flight deck of Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) in Solomon Islands, July 28. 2026. During their patrol, the cutter’s crew worked alongside Pacific Island Countries to combat illegal fishing activities and enhance maritime domain awareness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy CGC Harriet Lane)

Below is a District Oceania news Release. 

They sailed in “Iron Bottom Sound.” If you are a naval history buff, you know what that means, the first US offensive in the Pacific, site of five major naval battles.

They visited the Douglas Munro Memorial at Point Cruz.

We could definitely use more than one MEC in the Western Pacific.

A U.S. Coast Guard 26-foot Over the Horizon Small Boat crew assigned to Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903), prepares to conduct bilateral maritime law enforcement operations June 24, 2026. The crew conducted 26 customs inspections of foreign-flagged sailing vessels while collaborating with Fijian partners. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy CGC Harriet Lane)

Aug. 27, 2026

Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returns home following 75-day patrol

Coast Guard Oceania District External Affairs – (808) 265-7748

HONOLULU – The crew of U.S. Coast Guard cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) returned to Pearl Harbor Aug. 12, 2026, following a 75-day patrol in support of Coast Guard’s Oceania District’s Operation Blue Pacific.

Harriet Lane and its 100 crewmembers departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in June to conduct combined operations and territorial integrity missions within Oceania. Patrolling more than 16,000 nautical miles throughout the Pacific to include the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Australia, the cutter worked alongside regional partners in the Pacific to deter transnational criminal activities, facilitate the flow of commerce, and protect critical ocean resources.

During this patrol, Capt. Justin Matejka, commanding officer of Harriet Lane, hosted the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands aboard the cutter, alongside P. Daniel O’Hara, American Chargé d’Affaires, and Vice Adm. Joseph R. Buzzella, commander, Pacific Area, for a historic bilateral maritime law enforcement agreement signing between the two nations. This document allows for cooperative law enforcement operations between the Solomon Islands and the U.S. Coast Guard to further protect the island nation’s sovereignty, help enforce their fisheries regulations, and ensure that vessels in the Solomon Islands exclusive economic zone are operating safely and securely. Having been the first cutter to moor in Honiara (Guadalcanal–Chuck) since 2018, the crew visited the Douglas Munro Memorial at Point Cruz, paying honor and respect to the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient.

“Sailing through the historic waters of Guadalcanal while signing a milestone bilateral agreement made this an extraordinary patrol,” said Matejka. “Places like Iron Bottom Sound hold sacred meaning for the Coast Guard, and visiting the Douglas Munro Memorial shortly after signing the bilateral law enforcement agreement with the Solomon Islands was deeply meaningful. We are grateful to stand with our regional partners as we combat illegal fishing and illicit activities to ensure a free, open, and secure Pacific.”

The Harriet Lane crew exercised further partnerships with Fiji and Papua New Guinea through bilateral maritime law enforcement operations, community relations, and domestic federal maritime law

enforcement operations. In total, the Harriet Lane crew assisted Fiji and Papua New Guinea’s enforcement officers conduct 42 boardings of fishing vessels.

Commissioned in 1984, Harriet Lane is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Honolulu to support Coast Guard missions in the Pacific region. The service’s medium endurance cutter fleet supports a variety of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, law enforcement, maritime defense, and protection of the marine environment.

“SeaVision, A web-based maritime situational awareness tool” –DOT

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SeaVision

I have long felt the Coast Guard should be a partner in a Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) program along with the Navy. AMVER is really a sort of MDA, but includes only those that want to be included. It could be an input to a more complete system.

I was surprised to find that DOT already maintains, SeaVision, an unclassified MDA system in partnership with US Fleet Forces Command, Naval Information Warfare System Pacific, and Battlespace Awareness and Information Operations (PMW120) (the SeaVision Team). The Coast Guard is notably absent though I have to believe the Coast Guard is providing information.

Reportedly SeaVision has over 5,000 active users from 120 partner nations.

Below are screen grabs of its claimed features and data.

“SpaceX plans $100 billion spaceport on Louisiana Gulf Coast” –Marine Log

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Vermilion Parish

Marine Log reports,

“SpaceX said August 25 that it plans to invest $100 billion in a massive new launch facility on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, a development that could bring a new type of industrial activity to the state’s working coast and eventually require coordination between space operations and marine traffic in the Gulf.

“The company plans to develop the 125,000-acre site in Vermilion Parish as its fourth and largest launch facility, with the capacity to support thousands of launches annually. (emphasis applied–Chuck) Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first launch targeted for as early as 2029.

This might be important.

The report notes, “…barge transportation has also been identified as one of the logistical advantages of the location…The U.S. Coast Guard already works with the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA and commercial space operators, including SpaceX, to address risks that launch operations can pose to vessels and navigable waters. Depending on the location and trajectory of a launch, those measures can include temporary safety or restricted areas and notices advising mariners of potential hazards.”

When I first heard about this, I was worried that it might impact traffic on the Mississippi, but looks like that is unlikely given the geography.

Will the Coast Guard need to provide waterside security? If so the nearest WPCs are based in Galveston, TX and Pascagoula, Mississippi. The Navy League 2026 Almanac tells me USCGC Yellowfin (WPB-87319) is in Abbevile, LA. That is within the Parish.

Vermilion Parish:  The parish seat is Abbeville. Vermilion Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, and located in southern Acadiana. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,359.

“U.S. Coast Guard concludes participation in multinational PANAMAX exercise alongside international partners in Panama” –News Release

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U.S. Coast Guard and partner nations conduct a formation sail during PANAMAX 2026
From left to right, U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter USCGC Robert Ward (WPC 1130), Mexican navy ARM Jalisco, Ecuadorian navy BAE Loja, Colombian navy coastal patrol vessel ARC Isla Gorgona, and the Panamanian National Aeronaval Service Panquiaco (P-301) perform a formation sailing exercise in the Pacific Ocean near Panama, during PANAMAX 2026, Aug. 6, 2026. PANAMAX 2026 scenarios help the defense and public security forces of participating nations improve interoperability, hone their skills during scenarios involving coalition and all-domain operations, forge strong cooperative partnerships, and demonstrate their collective capacity to respond to and deter threats to the region and its critical waterways. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class William Kirk)

Below is a news release. I am not sure which office wrote the release. It may be from the Coast Guard liaison officer in Panama.

I did a post on this exercise based on a Navy League “Seapower” post on August 7.

The new release is the most detailed I have seen on the exercise and the accompanying photos give a good feel the importance of the exercise.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses U.S. service members supporting PANAMAX 2026
The Honorable Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, stands with U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Unit 301 (PSU 301) service members and a commemorative gift presented by the unit during a dinner at Panama City, Panama, Aug. 12, 2026, in support of PANAMAX 2026. The engagement recognized the contributions of PSU 301 personnel and highlighted the importance of service, teamwork and readiness among forces supporting the multinational exercise. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Crystal Burgess)

The earlier post discussed why I think Atlantic Area’s AOR should be realigned to include all of the 4th Fleet AOR and that Atlantic Area should be responsible for all Coast Guard drug enforcement operations in the 4th Fleet AOR. Interestingly, while Cmdr. Patrick Frost, deputy chief of enforcement for Coast Guard Southwest District, served as the Pacific Task Force commander for the exercise, was apparently the senior officer from Pacific Area, and USCGC Robert Ward came down from Long Bech CA, the ranking Coast Guard officer was Atlantic Area Deputy Commander, Rear Adm. John Vann. (PSU 301 is out of Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, MA.)

USCGC Sentinel-class Robert Ward (WPC-1130) hosts distinguished guests during PANAMAX 2026. Deputy Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Rear Adm. John Vann speaks to members of the USCGC Sentinel-class Robert Ward (WPC-1130) about their role during PANAMAX 2026 in Panama, Aug. 12, 2026. PANAMAX 2026 seeks to improve interoperability and strengthen collective capacity to conduct complex multinational and all-domain operations to ensure free flow of commerce through the Panama Canal and maintain security and stability in the region. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class William Kirk)

Note, the most heavily armed vessels involved in the exercise were the Mexican Navy’s 282 foot, 1,680 ton Oaxaca class Offshore Patrol Vessel ARM Jalisco (1 x Bofors 57 mm gun; 1 × OTO Melara 30 mm cannon; 2 × OTO Melara remote-controlled M2 12.7mmMG) and the Ecuadorian Navy’s 204 foot, 685 ton Esmeraldas class guided missile corvette BAE Loja (1- Otobreda 76 mm gun; 1 – 40 mm Breda Dardo guns;1 – Surface-to-air-missile – Selenia Aspide (1 × 4); 6 – MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles; 2 – Mk32 torpedo launchers).

Aug. 25, 2026

U.S. Coast Guard concludes participation in multinational PANAMAX exercise alongside international partners in Panama

PANAMA PACIFICO, Panama — U.S. Coast Guard deployable specialized forces personnel and the U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class cutter Robert Ward (WPC 1130) crew concluded participation in the PANAMAX 2026 exercise in-port and offshore of Panama City from Aug. 3-13.

Panama hosted participants from 18 partner nations, including the United States, for PANAMAX 2026. The exercise provided participating nations an opportunity to conduct combined security and stability operations to enhance their joint-operations capabilities.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel from Port Security Unit (PSU) 301, Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) – West, District Southwest enforcement, and the Robert Ward conducted joint training and simulated exercises with partner nations throughout the exercise.

PSU 301 conducted Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) and small boat operations alongside U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance and partner forces from Panama, Mexico, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. The unit conducted a full-mission-profile exercise raid of the Amador Cruise Terminal and participated in integrated waterside and shoreside security operations. PSU 301 also employed command-and-control, common operating picture and unmanned aerial systems technologies to provide real-time video and communications in support of joint and combined forces.

MSRT West integrated with U.S. special operations forces and commando units from Panama, Argentina and Peru to prepare for complex maritime security missions. The exercise provided an opportunity to refine multinational tactics and coordination while demonstrating the ability of special operations forces to respond to maritime threats in the region.

Coast Guard Southwest District enforcement staff concluded an expansive eight-month planning process in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard liaison officer in Panama, to lead the Combined Maritime Forces Pacific Task Force through 12 separate exercise events. The Robert Ward and crew conducted these integrated at-sea and in-port exercises with partner nations throughout PANAMAX 2026, including boardings, escorts and search-and-rescue operations. These exercise events culminated in a real-world multinational escort of a commercial cargo vessel as it exited the canal, followed by a complex final exercise. This exercise involved live assets simulating an aggressive action against a security formation, and ultimately concluded with effective turnover to PSU 301 for final boarding. This training tested a coordinated coalition response, strengthening the ability of multinational forces to operate together across a range of maritime security missions.

“The performance of the Combined Maritime Force was exceptional and the regional partnerships strengthened will endure beyond PANAMAX,” said U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Patrick Frost, deputy chief of enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard Southwest District. “The U.S. completed six full days of integrated exercises; including interdictions, boardings, security escorts, and search-and-rescue. The success of PANAMAX was a result of joint planning efforts dating back months, heavily attributed to the hospitality of Panama’s aeronaval service, and effectively laid groundwork for further collaboration to build off training events and achieve advanced real-world operations.”

Participating nations included Panama, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, the United Kingdom and the United States. The scope of nations represented in this year’s exercise reflects a collective recognition of the importance of the Panama Canal as a vital maritime waterway, and the ever-increasing collaborative partnership between public security and defense forces in the region.

Panama served as the exercise host, and the United States co-led the four force components. Alongside their U.S. counterparts, Argentina co-led the special operations forces component, Chile co-led the maritime component, Colombia co-led the air component, and Peru co-led the ground component.

This year marks the first time in 14 years that PANAMAX was conducted as a live multinational exercise in Panama as well as a command post exercise, both in Panama and the U.S.

For updated information about PANAMAX 2026, visit the PANAMAX 2026 DVIDS page at www.dvidshub.net/feature/Panamax26.