Panama kicks off PANAMAX 2026 with pre-sail conference opening ceremony

Panama’s Servicio Nacional Aeronaval welcomed key leadership from Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia and the United States on Aug. 3, 2026, as maritime forces gathered for PANAMAX 2026, which runs Aug. 3-13.

Six maritime vessels will make up the Pacific Task Force for the exercise, described as one of the largest military drills in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. Coast Guard is providing a cutter; Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico are each contributing one ship; and Panama is contributing two.

“Major prerequisites to achieving this objective include practicing our ability to transit offshore in company, to communicate effectively to each other and shore command, and to perform complex missions in an integrated manner,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. Patrick Frost, the deputy chief of enforcement from U.S. Coast Guard District Southwest.

Frost said PANAMAX 2026, which includes 19 countries in total, is critical to Panama, the United States and all partner nations because it’s important to practice functions necessary to protect the canal. Plans call for a wide range of training scenarios to build cohesion through joint communications, maneuvers and tactics.

During a ceremonial event on Aug. 3 hosted by the National Aeronaval Service, Panamanian maritime officials welcomed the command teams of the four visiting ships to Panama. “Today, in this 2026 edition of PANAMAX, we confirm our commitment to a broader and even more adapted vision of the threats that we have in the 21st century,” said Panamanian Lt. Cmdr. Eduardo Batista, acting commander of Naval Command, National Aeronaval Service. “This exercise constitutes an opportunity, with great value, to strengthen the interoperability of our forces, to improve our operational procedures, and to elevate our capacity to respond in the face of transnational threats and cyberspace challenges.”

“They are our regional partners, and they are our crucial allies in the fight against cartels across the Western Hemisphere,” Frost said. “These partner nations are clearly demonstrating a rock-solid commitment to this multinational concept, and the collaboration between the various country representatives is significant.”

The welcome ceremony formally opened the pre-sail conference, running Aug. 3-5 for vessel captains, command cadre and select representatives from each of the six ships that will operate in the Eastern Pacific during the exercise. The participating ships are the Mexican Navy offshore patrol vessel Arm Jalisco, Ecuadorian Navy missile corvette Bae Loja, Colombian Navy coastal patrol vessel Isla Gorgona, Panamanian Aeronaval service coastal patrol boat Panquiaco, Panamanian Aeronaval service coastal patrol boat Taboga, and U.S. Coast Guard cutter Robert Ward.

PANAMAX 2026 seeks to improve interoperability and strengthen collective capacity to conduct complex multinational and all-domain operations to ensure the free flow of commerce through the Panama Canal and maintain security and stability in the region.