Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay are training in the Acrux X river exercise

The Navies of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil are involved in the Acrux X exercise, one of the largest multinational river operations in the world, which is carried out every two years in the Paraguay-Paraná waterway.

The operation, which will end on September 16, also included the participation of the Bolivian and Paraguayan navies as observers.

To date, the exercise has involved deployments of vessels and aircraft in the cities of Asunción, Paraguay, Rosario and Corrientes, Argentina, and Fray Bentos, Uruguay.

“The operation, which takes place every two years, aims to train the military personnel of the navies involved in carrying out a combined riverine operation.

“It will strengthen the bonds of friendship with neighboring countries and the interoperability between the participating navies,” explained the commander of the Mato Grosso Flotilla, Captain Guilherme José de Aguiar Araújo.

450 TROOPS

In the Uruguayan city, the operation had 450 troops distributed in naval and aerial means of the Brazilian Navy, two ships and two speedboats of the Argentine Navy, and two vessels and aircraft of the Uruguayan Navy.

In addition, the Brazilian and Argentine Marines carried out assault exercises that resulted in the recovery of the terrain as initially planned. The operation included river traffic control, aeromedical evacuation, and special operations.

The Brazilian Navy is participating in this event’s new edition with 192 military personnel with the ships Parnaíba and Potengi, an HB-350 Esquilo aircraft from the 1st Helicopter Squadron, and a detachment of Marines from the 3rd Coastal Operations Battalion.

Argentina is participating with two multipurpose ships, the ARA Río Ciudad de Rosario and the ARA Ciudad de Zarate; a patrol boat, the ARA Río Santiago; and personnel from Marine Infantry Battalion No. 3, a total of 112 troops.

With information from InfoDefensa