Naval units from the US and Colombia are taking part in the Peru-hosted Silent Forces Exercise (SIFOREX) 2018 which began in Lima, Peru on April 16.
SIFOREX is a naval exercise that focuses on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) proficiency and presents the US Navy with an opportunity to hone ASW operations against multiple diesel submarines in a complex environment.
The primary focus of SIFOREX is ASW operations, but the exercise will also provide some events in surface warfare, maritime interdiction operations and search and rescue.
The US Navy has sent cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), three P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from Patrol Squadrons (VP) 16 and 26 and one MH-60R helicopter from HSM 78 to take part in the exercise.
Colombia is represented by a Type-209 submarine while Brazilian and Argentinian navies have observers in the exercise.
“Conducting these types of exercises is critical,” said Cmdr. Mark Yehl, lead planner for SIFOREX 2018. “We can always expect maximum effort from our crews at sea, but one often overlooked aspect is the logistics that go into each exercise we do. Being able to identify problems and create solutions is critical for smooth operations, both in exercises and real-world situations.”
SIFOREX has been a routine exercise since 2001, becoming a biennual exercise in 2006, occurring every even year since.