Upon completing its activities with the Ecuadorian Navy, the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington, along with its escort group, began combined exercises with personnel and assets of the Colombian Navy and Air Force at the end of June. Although there is no official report on the activities, various social media posts highlighted the participation of several Colombian ships and aircraft.
The USS George Washington is concluding its deployment in South America. As part of the Southern Seas 2024 deployment, it has completed PASSEX-type exercises with the navies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and most recently, with the Colombian Navy and Air Force.
Upon entering Colombian territorial waters, the aircraft carrier, accompanied by the destroyer USS Porter and the logistic ship USNS John Lenthall, was received by several vessels of the Colombian Navy. Among them was the ocean patrol vessel ARC Victoria (PZE-48) and the corvette ARC Nariño, which was donated by South Korea.
Meanwhile, on the continent, the Colombian Air Force prepared its Kfir fighter-bombers for air exercises with the aircraft of the USS George Washington’s Carrier Air Wing, presumably with the F/A-18 Super Hornets operating from the ship. According to the Air Force, this activity with the embarked fighters was part of Exercise Lightning IX.
From the official X account of the Commander of the Colombian Navy, Admiral Francisco Cubides Granados, regarding the start of the exercises, he stated: “It is a source of pride to participate in such an important naval operation with our ships, Coast Guard units, Naval Aviation, and Naval Special Forces, strengthening cooperation ties under international standards,” while reporting various activities such as formation sailing between ships, helicopter operations on the respective flight decks, and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) exercises.
Although no further details were provided, the Colombian Navy commander himself indicated yesterday, June 30, the conclusion of the exercises with the USS George Washington, highlighting the opportunity for Colombian crews to operate alongside this U.S. Navy unit.
*Photographs: National Colombian Navy and U.S. Navy.
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