PANAMAX 2026 showcases united resolve among multinational defense and security forces

Multinational defense and security forces have intensified joint training in Panama as PANAMAX 2026 gets underway, bringing together 19 partner nations to protect the Panama Canal and bolster regional stability.

Command and control for the 11-day exercise is centered at the Exercise Control Group in Panama, where a multinational team plans, tracks, and directs operations. Army Lt. Col. Innis E. Bryant, Sr., a leader at the control group and Chief of Joint Exercises at U.S. Southern Command’s J7/9 Training and Exercises Division in Doral, Florida, underscored the purpose of the collaboration. “Working with our partner nations is about building interoperability, countering challenges, and defeating threats that impact security in our region. It’s a burden we share,” Bryant said. “By working together as like-minded partners who are wholly committed to freedom of navigation, we demonstrate our united resolve to detect, disrupt, and defeat existing and emerging threats to vital infrastructure and lines of communication in our hemisphere – our shared home.”

Early activities over the first two days included ship tours and cross-training across services and nations. The U.S. Coast Guard hosted Ecuadorian Navy and Panamanian Aeronaval personnel aboard the cutter Robert Ward, while Ecuador reciprocated with a visit to the Esmeraldas-class missile corvette B.A.E. Loja for U.S. Coast Guard and Colombian Navy members.

The Missouri National Guard, paired with Panama through the State Partnership Program, led an informational and team-building exchange at Base del Comando General en Summit with the host nation and other training partners. U.S. Marines conducted swim training alongside counterparts in Arraijan, and Ecuadorian marines met with Dominican Republic marines there to discuss all-domain operations.

Ecuadorian marines also trained on the operation of a U.S. Coast Guard small boat. In Colón, U.S. Marines from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, carried out raid training and tactics discussions with multiple partners, including members of the Panamanian National Aeronaval Service.

In Panama City, the U.S. Coast Guard briefed participating forces on small boat maneuvering fundamentals—covering personnel transfers, coming alongside procedures, and man-overboard recovery—before moving to combined on-water drills aimed at sharpening proficiency and interoperability.

As the exercise continues, PANAMAX 2026 is focused on strengthening the collective capacity to conduct complex, multinational, all-domain operations to ensure the free flow of commerce through the Panama Canal and support security and stability in the region.