Washington, April 6th, 2009 - United States Marine Corps four-star General James E. "Hoss" Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke about the "robust" military cooperation with Mexico while announcing Mexico's first participation ever in what now is the 50th iteration of the UNITAS multinational maritime exercises.
UNITAS 50-09 is scheduled to begin in late April 2009 off the coast of Mayport, Florida with participants from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Mexico, Peru and the United States. The exercises are hosted by the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO)/ U.S. 4th Fleet.
The annual UNITAS exercise series supports the U.S. Maritime Strategy by bringing partner nation navies together to improve interoperability and build working relationships at sea in a two-week exercise.
The Mexican Senate will have to grant permission, as requested by the Mexican Executive Branch and constitutionally required, to the Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico, the Maritime Branch of the Mexican Armed Forces which consists of approximately 56,000 men and women, over 189 ships, and about 130 aircraft) to leave Mexican National Waters to join the UNITAS 50-09 exercises.
Mexico will be sending the Allende Class Frigate named ARM Mina F-214 which carries a Bolkow BO-105 helicopter and has a crew of 239, the Oaxaca Class Oceanic Patrol ARM Oaxaca PO-061 which carries a Panther AS 565 MB helicopter and a crew of 59 and a Group of 45 specialists from the Mexican Naval Infantry.