Continuing the schedule of combined activities for Exercise ACRUX XI, the focus of the drills conducted by the Navies of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay centered on the deployment of their Marine units in beach landing Operations and the establishment of support for their execution. These units play an important role in carrying out reconnaissance, surveillance, and protection missions for the Riverine Task Force currently deployed in the Paraná River, simulating an operation under a United Nations mandate.
Throughout yesterday, there was constant movement to and from the ships, preparing the various groups of Argentine, Brazilian, and Uruguayan marines for landings at designated beaches. In the days prior, the landing sites were marked and designated for the subsequent execution of riverine operations.
In the preliminary preparations, various tasks had to be considered and set in motion, such as arriving at the designated anchoring area with units from the 3rd Marine Battalion being established along the riverbanks to set up listening and surveillance points, as well as reconnaissance of the operational area. To this end, the Riverine Task Force utilized reconnaissance flights carried out by T-34C Mentor aircraft from the Argentine and Uruguayan Naval Aviation.
The preliminary tasks for the landing included preparing personnel and equipment through the hoisting and lowering of small boats from the patrol vessel ARA King, as well as readying the medical assistance ship “Tenente Maximiano” from the Brazilian Navy, which served as a hospital ship during the operations. Once preparations were complete, the landing at the designated points was carried out by the Marine units of the Brazilian and Uruguayan Navies, with fire support from the 3rd Marine Battalion of the Argentine Navy aboard Guardian 22 boats.
Once the Brazilian and Uruguayan troops had landed, they proceeded to consolidate the beachhead and establish a combined medical point for the treatment and first aid of the wounded, supported by ambulance vehicles and a Uruguayan Navy AB-412 helicopter. This allowed for CASEVAC exercises to evacuate the wounded to the designated point and subsequently transport them to the hospital support ship “Tenente Maximiano” for more complex medical attention.
In the late afternoon, with nightfall approaching, one of the final points of the day for Exercise ACRUX XI was the exfiltration of the marines, which was carried out with the support of the 3rd Marine Battalion back to their respective ships of origin.
Coverage and photographs for Zona Militar: Alejo Sanchez Piccat.
You may also like: Coverage – The Marine Infantries of the navies of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay conducted riverine incursions on the Paraná River during the ACRUX XI Exercise
