In a ceremony preceded by the Minister of National Defense, Iván Velásquez Gómez, the ARC “Tayrona” submarine, a strategic unit and representative of the naval power of our country, which was participating in the DESI program, an initiative in which the Colombia Navy has participated for 20 years, docked at the ARC “Bolívar” Naval Base in Cartagena.
The exercises were carried out in jurisdictional waters of the United States and the Bahamas, near the coast of the state of Florida and in the area called “The Tongue of the Ocean”, approximately 1,200 nautical miles from Colombia. In them, the operational capacity of the Colombia Marines was tested, developing evasive maneuvers, silent navigation and special operations. Likewise, combined naval exercises were carried out with military aircraft such as the P8-A Poseidon aircraft and the MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, which were focused on strengthening stealth and escape capabilities.
Among the trainings, those carried out with the Atlantic Submarine Evaluation and Test Center (AUTEC) of the United States Navy, the maneuvers to detect enemy means called MPRAEX, where specialized military aircraft participate, in order to search, track and detect underwater units; and the exercises known as ASWEX, in which the crew are trained in locating, identifying and attacking enemy submarines.
On the other hand, the crew of the ARC “Tayrona” carried out theoretical and practical training at the facilities of the Naval Submarine Base in King’s Bay, state of Georgia – United States, which included anti-submarine warfare tactics exercises and security measures to operate under the standard of NATO procedures.
Likewise, training was carried out in engineering emergency response, with the use of fire and flood simulators for underwater units, training crew members to react appropriately to different emergency scenarios.
“To all the crew members, their families and all those who make this work possible, I express my most sincere gratitude. The strengthening of our Navy and its capabilities is part of the route to consolidate peace, combat illegality and advance towards the guarantee and full enjoyment of the rights of Colombians throughout the national territory,” said the Minister of Defense during the ceremony.
The ARC “Tayrona” is one of two 209-class submarines acquired by the Colombia Navy at the Kiel shipyards in Germany. Both units underwent a modernization process carried out by the Cotecmar shipyard in Colombia, which included the incorporation of a new combat and electronic warfare system, as well as detection and batteries.
For the Colombia Navy, participation in international exercises such as DESI is of utmost importance, as it keeps its units and crews prepared in terms of doctrine and execution of operations, improving interoperability and contributing to the comprehensive security of the hemisphere and the maritime lines of communication in the region.
The Naval Institution will continue to strengthen international cooperation ties in order to improve security conditions in the region through the consolidation of naval power, likewise, it ratifies its commitment to the tranquility of the people who use, enjoy and take advantage of the maritime, coastal and island spaces of the region.