U.S., Chilean Navies Discuss Cooperative Activities

Navy representatives from Chilé and the United States met recently in Florida to discuss action plans and share ideas to enhance cooperative activities between the two navies, according to a Naval Newsstand report. Known as Operational Naval Committees (ONC), the meetings facilitate planning and successful execution of combined maritime operations in the region. Topics discussed included ship rider and subject matter expert exchanges, mobile training teams, foreign liaison officer assignment, and optimizing resources. With much worldwide focus on the Middle East, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), headquartered in Miami, Fla., is actively engaged in Latin America and Caribbean regions. These regions are of considerable military, political and economic value to the United States, with trade between the U.S. and Latin America ever rising, according to the report. Multinational maritime operations and exercises in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility support national and international goals for security and safety of maritime traffic. Each year representatives from the participating navies come together for two days to put in place plans and mutually agreeable initiatives that enable common goals. The next ONC is planned for February with the Colombian Navy. Source: Naval Newsstand