In view of the upcoming edition of the DESI exercise (Diesel Electric Submarine Initiative), the Chilean Navy held a meeting for analysis and planning on April 24th and 25th with the aim of preparing for its participation in DESI 2025 in the USA.
The meeting, held at the Naval Operations Command located in the city of Valparaíso, was attended by personnel from the Chilean Navy’s Submarine Force along with a delegation of 11 members from the U.S. Navy, led by Rear Admiral Michael Van Poots, Deputy Commander of the Submarine Force.
The event also included the analysis and wrap-up of the DESI 2023 exercise, which saw the deployment for the third time of the Scorpene-class submarine “Carrera” (SS-22) in coastal waters of the USA. In this regard, Commodore Federico Saelzer, Commander of the Submarine Force, stated that “overall the evaluations are very positive, all aimed at gaining valuable experiences for future operational periods.”
He also expressed that “being able to conduct training of this nature is of great relevance, as it allows us to put into practice an interoperability that we have developed alongside the United States Navy. Therefore, we have a reputation as a submarine force at the regional level.”
Rear Admiral Van Poots, for his part, shared some of the evaluations of the exercise, highlighting the excellent performance of the submarine “Carrera,” stating that “it was one of the best DESIs we have conducted to date. The preparation of the Chilean Submarine Force is of an excellent standard and allows us to challenge and improve both navies.“
Having first participated in 2006, the Chilean Navy has recurrently taken part in the main exercise for diesel-electric submarines. In the last edition, held last year, the submarine “Carrera” carried out operations including onboard emergency drills, multiple threats involving nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, MH-60R helicopters, and P-8 aircraft, anti-submarine exercises, and training for the transfer of light loads between a submarine and helicopters, aimed at strengthening and developing tactics for detection, classification, and attack.
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