Unprecedented Riverine Operations course reinforces Brazilian cooperation with countries in its strategic environment
By Second Lieutenant (RM2-T) João Stilben – Brasília, DF
The Brazilian Navy (MB) sent a Marine Mobile Training Team (EMT) to Colombia to conduct the United Nations Military Riverine Units Course (UN-MRU) from January 10 to 19. The initiative was coordinated by the MB’s Center for Naval Peace Operations (COpPazNav), and seeks to take advantage of the Force’s expertise in operations under the aegis of the United Nations (UN), to strengthen cooperation with friendly countries in Brazil’s strategic environment.
A total of 16 “Infantes de Marina”, as the Colombian marines are called, will now be able to act as knowledge multipliers at its Peace Operations Training Center (CEPAZ). According to the Center’s Director, Lieutenant Colonel (Intendant) Juan Sebastián Salibe, the unprecedented course “was fundamental to prepare the Marine Infantry Unit for use in peace operations and, in the near future, to enable CEPAZ to obtain certification for its own course from the UN,” he said.
Internationally recognized for its history of confronting groups that use jungle areas to carry out illegal activities through riverine operations, the Colombian Navy is preparing, following in Brazil’s footsteps, to obtain the UN-MRU Course International Certification, which the MB COpPazNav achieved in 2021.
For the Naval Attaché in Colombia, Marine Captain Luiggi Campany, “sending the Mobile Training Team reinforces Brazil’s commitment to supporting countries in the region, particularly Colombia, and to contributing to peace, since the training was aimed at training new instructors in riverine operations in a context that we know our country has expertise in,” he commented.
In a report released in 2021, the UN classified the Marines of the Brazilian Navy as a group with an “expeditionary, mobile and agile” mentality and composed of the “highest standards of operational readiness and personnel”, as well as endowed with “strong command and control and high morale and discipline”.
The Riverine Military Units Course taught by CopPazNav reinforces the Brazilian Naval Force’s commitment to the UN, in terms of the availability of troops to mitigate conflict situations, wherever necessary.
The MB currently participates in the United Nations Peacekeeping Capabilities Readiness System (UNPCRS), in which the Marines’ Rapid Reaction Company stands out, with level 3 certification (the highest in terms of mobilization capacity and readiness in case of need).
Source: Agência Marinha de Notícias *** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***