PANAMA – The U.S. military and Panamanian police launched new joint military exercises on Sunday aimed at protecting the Panama Canal, a strategic international waterway.
The maneuvers began with the landing of three U.S. Army helicopters—two UH-60 Black Hawks and a CH-47 Chinook—at the air base of Panama’s National Aeronaval Service (Senan) near Panama Pacifico Airport, the former site of the U.S. Howard military base.
According to Senan Deputy Commissioner Michael Palacios, the drills, which will continue through Friday, are intended to prepare Panamanian and regional forces “against any threat to the security and defense of the Panama Canal.” Palacios noted that these joint exercises have been held for the past 23 years.
The operations include embarkation and disembarkation missions, rescue drills, and communication exercises. In June, U.S. troops conducted similar training in Panama under a bilateral agreement signed in April, which grants the U.S. access to Panamanian air and naval bases for a period of three years.
