The Peruvian Navy, through the General Command of Pacific Operations, held the Initial Planning Conference (IPC) for the multinational UNITAS 2026 Exercise in Lima, marking the formal beginning of the organization process for the world’s oldest combined naval training exercise.
The international meeting took place at the Peruvian Naval Center, San Borja headquarters, and brought together military delegations from Peru, the United States of America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama, reinforcing the regional commitment to naval cooperation and hemispheric security. The conference was co-led by Rear Admiral Alfredo Osorio Bromberg, representing Peru, together with Captain David Damato and Colonel Andrew Lee, representing the United States.
During the working sessions, representatives of the participating navies analyzed and discussed the fundamental aspects that will guide the development of UNITAS 2026. The sessions made it possible to establish the operational, logistical, and coordination guidelines, as well as define the main training scenarios that will be carried out during the exercise.
Among the topics addressed were the planning of the different operational phases, which will include maritime, amphibious, Amazon, cyber defense, and highlands training operations, designed to strengthen interoperability among naval forces and improve joint response capabilities in the face of regional crises, maritime security operations, and humanitarian assistance missions.
One of the most relevant milestones of this edition will be that, for the first time in the history of the UNITAS exercise, training activities will take place on Lake Titicaca, located in the Peruvian highlands, making it possible to incorporate a unique geographic setting for combined operations in high-altitude lake environments. Likewise, for the first time in Peru, the exercise will incorporate a specialized cyber defense component within the UNITAS framework, aimed at strengthening capabilities for network protection, critical infrastructure defense, and multinational coordination against threats in cyberspace, a domain that is increasingly relevant to modern military operations.
During the aforementioned conference, the coordination of the naval and marine infantry assets that will participate in the exercise was also addressed. In this process, the participation of units from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, the Peruvian Navy, and the Peruvian Marine Corps was evaluated, as well as the integration of Peruvian Army capabilities in certain training phases, which will make it possible to conduct joint operations in different geographic scenarios. After several days of technical meetings and working groups, the Initial Planning Conference concluded on March 5, 2026, with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a document that formalizes the agreements reached among the participating countries.
This memorandum constitutes an instrument of multinational commitment and coordination, establishing the main aspects of exercise planning, including the dates of operations, training objectives, the maneuver scheme, the participation of naval and land assets, as well as the responsibilities of each country in the development of the exercise.
The signing of the document represents a fundamental step within the UNITAS 2026 planning process, as it consolidates the consensus among the participating nations regarding the structure of the exercise and the level of operational commitment of each force.
Created in the early 1960s, UNITAS has established itself as the world’s oldest multinational naval exercise, making it possible for more than six decades to strengthen interoperability, doctrinal exchange, and cooperation among the navies of the continent and allied forces.
With the conclusion of the Initial Planning Conference and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, UNITAS 2026 is now entering a new stage of detailed planning, reaffirming Peru’s role as host of one of the hemisphere’s most important naval cooperation events.
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