2023-07-16 14:38:39
In a milestone for the Colombian Navy, the United States Navy and thirteen other organizing countries, the first training exercise in cybersecurity, cyber defense and cyber intelligence in a naval warfare environment was carried out in Cartagena, Bolívar.
For the first time in the history of this international operation, the Colombian Navy planned, organized, and executed this exercise with the aim of strengthening strategic, tactical, and operational capabilities in identifying cyber threats and countering attacks on unit systems. naval. This contributes, according to the Colombian naval forces, to guarantee sovereignty in maritime, fluvial, air and land spaces.
The National Navy led the first cybernetic operations exercise in a naval environment. At least 15 countries participated | Photo: National Navy
However, a total of fifteen countries participated in this exercise, including Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, France, Germany, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, South Korea, Spain, United States, United Kingdom, and Uruguay.
During the training, three types of exercises were carried out, including a red team and a blue team exercise, where attacks and defenses were carried out on a surface unit, highlighting the teamwork and technical capabilities of countries such as Brazil and Ecuador. In addition, a technical and practical exercise was developed in which each country demonstrated its abilities and good practices to mitigate attacks.
“This important exercise strengthened decision-making at all command levels, managing to manage crisis situations, cyber attacks, system violations, among others, in the face of possible risks to the reliability, integrity, and availability of surface and underwater units. and aerial for the fulfillment of the mission”, assured the Colombian Navy.
Similarly, the Navy stated that “the effective articulation of cooperative security made it possible to increase interoperability links at the Multinational Task Force level to achieve control of the sea with specific actions in cyber defense, thus improving response capabilities between the Navies.” participants. In addition to strengthening interdisciplinary work, the exchange of information and continuous training”.
The objective was to strengthen the strategic, tactical and operational capabilities in the identification of cyber threats and the countering of attacks on the systems of the naval units | Photo: National Navy
SEMANA accompanied the Navy in the Solidarex operation
Within the framework of the Naval Bicentennial of the Colombian Navy, the third version of Solidarex was carried out, the operation with which eight sister countries carried out interoperability, synergy and strengthening exercises for the attention of natural disasters in the waters of the Pacific and the Caribbean. SEMANA accompanied the naval forces on this day.
This version, which was developed for the first time in the Caribbean Sea, since the first two, in 2019 and 2021, were carried out in Pacific waters, had the participation of countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Argentina , United States and Spain. Colombia, as the host country, received the impressive international fleet and its sailors on the coast of Coveñas, department of Sucre.
Agility, dexterity, and coordination was what SEMANA was able to demonstrate before the formation of the Solidarex Multinational Task Force, a powerful team prepared to deal with large-scale disasters and in which 2,275 sailors, 12 warships, four helicopters, participated. a marine patrol boat, a Scan Eagle, two Coast Guard Rapid Reaction Units, six diving groups, seven Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) groups and three pre-hospital care groups. An unprecedented version, since it is the first to have more participating countries and ships.
“This is an interoperability exercise. In other words, countries define doctrines, procedures, standard communications so that in a real scenario, as we already had in other countries, we have perfect, timely, and efficient communication,” Admiral Francisco Hernando Cubides, commander of the Navy, told SEMANA. Colombian Navy.
A devastating category 5 hurricane called “Willy”, in the Gulf of Morrosquillo, was recreated for the uniformed personnel to carry out the exercises and humanitarian assistance and rescue operations, which took place in Coveñas between July 8 and 10.
SEMANA had the opportunity to participate in two of the exercises: maritime search and rescue; and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR).
Simulation of an emergency at sea: divers rescue shipwrecked people and light a flare to be saved by men from the Navy | Photo: WEEK – Cristian Felipe Cubillos
From a Brazilian Navy helicopter, troops descended from the heights to save the shipwrecked following the passage of “Hurricane Willy” | Photo: WEEK – Cristian Felipe Cubillos
During the USAR exercises, it was confirmed that the sailors of the eight participating Navies not only have skills in the water, but also on land. On this occasion, “Hurricane Willy” had devastated a hotel. In response to the emergency, a team made up of Mexican and Colombian sailors, as well as two Peruvian teams, was deployed.
“Let us remember that this type of activity has already been carried out, for example, in Catrina, in the United States, in 2006, also in the earthquake in Haiti, in 2010, also in the earthquake in Ecuador in 2016, also in Hurricane Mateo in Haiti once more, but we also had something very similar here very closely, which was Iota, in San Andrés, where not only the Colombian Navy led the disaster response activity, but also received support from friendly countries and today we want to once once more carry out a similar exercise so that the combination of capabilities allows us to have a multinational force ready to deal with any natural disaster, be it in the Caribbean or the Pacific”, added Admiral Cubides.
The expertise of the uniformed officers allowed the wounded to be removed through triangle-shaped perforations, identified as key openings to prevent the complete collapse of structures | Photo: WEEK – Cristian Felipe Cubillos
Simulation of an emergency on land: “Hurricane Willy” devastated a hotel and a team made up of Mexican and Colombian sailors was deployed, as well as two Peruvian teams | Photo: WEEK – Cristian Felipe Cubillos
And it is that it is not for less, with this important activity “we achieve the coercion of capacities of friendly countries around this type of activities that they seek, it is obviously to alleviate the condition of the population, restore the condition in the territory, rebuild and obviously also alleviate the lives of those affected and obviously, then achieve the best living conditions for those who are being treated at that moment in a simulated way”, he highlighted.
In total, there were five operational exercises. In them, the joint response capacity of the sailors for the immediate reaction to any catastrophic scenario caused by the force of nature was clear.
Hydrocarbon contingencyChannel clearanceAmphibious landingMaritime search and rescueUSAR exercises
Thousands of troops, as well as naval and air forces, from the participating countries, tested their response capacity in the face of any catastrophe and made it clear that they are ready to face any eventuality that may occur.
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