Exercise PANAMAX 2024 is a U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)-sponsored exercise that provides important training opportunities for nations to work together and enhance their capabilities to plan and conduct complex multinational operations.

“Since the first PANAMAX exercise in 2003, it has become one of the largest multinational exercises in the world, held every two years. While we are about 300 men here, over a thousand uniformed soldiers participate in PANAMAX at several locations,” explains Rear Admiral Carlos Sardiello, Commander of the US Naval Forces Southern Command/US 4th Fleet (USNAVSOUTH/4th Fleet).

“PANAMAX provides us, multinational forces, with the opportunity to improve our capabilities, increase interoperability and strengthen maritime partnerships,” said Sardiello. “We all know that the Panama Canal is one of the most strategically and economically important infrastructures in the world. More than 500 million tons of goods pass through the Panama Canal each year. That’s three percent of global maritime trade. In other parts of the world, we’ve seen how instability can disrupt commercial shipping. Disruptions in the approaches to the Panama Canal can cause problems for everyone thousands of miles away from the Panama Canal. If there’s a problem near the Panama Canal, it’s not just a military or security problem, it’s a global economic problem.”

PANAMAX began in 2003 with three countries – Chile, Panama and the United States – and originally focused exclusively on maritime security of the Panama Canal. Since then, the exercise has grown into the largest coalition command post exercise in the region, ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most strategically and economically important infrastructure elements.

Approximately 300 sailors, marines and public security personnel will serve on the CFMCC staff under the command of Brazilian Navy Rear Admiral Jorge Jose De Moraes Rulff.

“16 countries are represented here in Mayport for PANAMAX and we are committed to continuing to resolve issues and strengthen our friendships and partnerships,” said Rear Admiral Jorge Jose De Moraes Rulff of the Brazilian Navy, Commander of the PANAMAX CFMCC. “We will practice various measures to meet the requests of the Government of Panama to protect and ensure safe traffic through the Panama Canal, ensure its neutrality and respect national sovereignty, all while working together to accomplish this mission.”

The objective of this exercise is to conduct stabilization operations in support of a fictitious UN Security Council resolution, to provide interoperability training to participating multinational personnel, and to strengthen the ability of participating countries to plan and conduct complex multinational operations.

The exercise provides unique simulated training opportunities that include scripted, event-driven scenarios to best enhance interoperability. These simulated training scenarios address important aspects of multinational and combined operations such as technology standardization and common operating procedures.

“PANAMAX provides an important opportunity to build upon the lasting relationships we have developed with our partners,” said Sardiello. “These partnerships and friendships are invaluable to all of us throughout our military careers. Each of us will forge bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood during PANAMAX.”

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, the exercise host, supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing naval forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships to strengthen regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean and Central and South America.