Last week, the U.S. Southern Command (SouthCom) announced that the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) will deploy to its area of operations.
Over the next months, this nuclear aircraft carrier will participate in “Operation South Seas 2024”, which will deploy, and menace the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay.
“This will be the 10th mission of the U.S. Navy in the region since 2007,” the Brazilian outlet AvioPrime reported, adding that the George Washington’s crew is made up of some 6,000 soldiers, 2,400 of whom are from the air wing.
During this voyage through the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the George Washington will be accompanied by the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Porter (DDG 78), and Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO -189).
Among other things, these U.S. warships will carry out PASSEX exercises, which are related to different forms of communication and cooperation with foreign vessels.
Aside from officially declared training objectives, PASSEX drills are usually a way to show the power of a country’s navy for geopolitical reasons.
These exercises come amongst heightened tension with the US and the majority of the other world. In Latin America this is particularly acute. The US currently has tense relationships with the majority of the countries in Latin America — from Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil. Furthermore, as US influence is waning and new international institutions are rising the US is increasingly relying on brute force to maintain its control.