“ACRUX XI” brings together ships, aircraft and Marines from the Brazilian Navy and the Armed Forces of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay
By First Lieutenant (RM2-T) Juliana Affe
The ships of the Brazilian Navy (MB) are already returning from Argentina to Ladario (MS), after participating in “ACRUX XI”, the largest Combined Riverine Operation in Latin America, which took place from July 12 to 24. The traditional commission has been held every two years since 2003 and aims to contribute to the interoperability and training of units subordinate to MB, the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the Republic of Paraguay and the Republic of Bolivia.
The 11th edition of Operation “ACRUX” was hosted by the Argentine Navy, where ships, aircraft and Marines (FN) from the countries involved concentrated in the waters of the Ibicuy and Mazaruca Rivers, in the province of Entre Rios, about 190 kilometers from the Buenos Aires Naval Base, to carry out the Combined Exercise. Representing the MB, the Fluvial Transport Ship (NTrFlu) “Paraguassu”, the Fluvial Logistical Support Ship “Potengi”, the Patrol Ship “Piratini” and the Hospital Assistance Ship (NAsH) “Tenente Maximiano” were deployed, resources from the Mato Grosso Flotilla Command, a military organization subordinate to the 6th Naval District Command, and a total of 245 military personnel, 58 of them Marines.
The Commander of the Mato Grosso Flotilla, Captain Cezar Batista Cunha Santos, aboard the NTrFlu “Paraguassu”, acted as Commander of the “ACRUX” Combined Riverine Assault Task Group. “This operation, as well as demonstrating our institution’s capacity for mobility and permanence, has provided us with different lessons. We faced a number of challenges, such as the logistics involved in getting to Buenos Aires; the language barrier; different doctrinal terms between the navies; and temperatures close to zero degrees, very different from those we face in our region. In general, ‘ACRUX’ had a very positive outcome, we exchanged experiences and successfully fulfilled our mission, contributing to the improvement of our readiness,” he explained.
Among MB’s other advances in the operation, Captain Cezar highlighted the improvement in command and control resources. “We used radio and satellite communications in an integrated way, which made it easier to synchronize actions in the field and speed up the flow of information during the riverine incursion, which was extremely important for establishing and maintaining situational awareness and the safety of the participating assets and troops.”
River and air operations
After the preliminary meetings, which took place at the Argentine Navy’s School of Marine Sciences, to present the military personnel involved and the logistics of the activities, the naval assets moved in formation to the Operations Area, up the Paraná River, on July 16, in order to anchor at the points established in the coordination.
In the Area of Operations, the 11 ships of the Combined River Task Force carried out combined training exercises, river traffic control, defense against underwater incursions, transit under surface threat, establishment of a Floating Combat Base and hoisting and lowering small vessels. The Argentine and Uruguayan Armed Forces aircraft, meanwhile, carried out patrol flights, close air support and surveillance, as well as reconnaissance of river and land areas.
During the exercises, the NAsH “Tenente Maximiano” was also used to treat military personnel with simulated fractures, hypothermia and other conditions.
The Commander of the Riverine Naval Area and Head of the Zárate Naval Base, Rear Admiral Daniel Francisco Finardi, visited the Brazilian ships in the Operations Area and, on the occasion, highlighted the challenges as a host country. “It takes serious preparation to conduct a major exercise. This is because a riverine operation requires maximum training in techniques and tactics and very close coordination between all the units. In addition, operating in a riverine environment, where spaces are narrow and waters are restricted, presents significant risks, which requires planning to carry out activities with maximum realism and, at the same time, safety.”
Riverine incursion
The dynamics for the action on the objective were coordinated at the Zárate Naval Base, on the night of July 16, and the Mazaruca-ARG region was chosen for the riverine incursion by the Brazilian, Uruguayan and Argentine troops.
As scheduled, the Argentine troops cordoned off the objective area on land on the night of the 18th, simulated by an airstrip, using blocking positions. On the morning of the 19th, before sunrise, the Brazilian and Uruguayan Marines crossed to the landing site on the Ibicuy River in smaller boats and under the protection of Argentine combat boats. From there, they moved about 8 km to assault and occupy the objective. The riverine operation was then completed with the planned withdrawal of the troops and their return to the ships.
The Commander of the 3rd Riverine Operations Battalion, Frigate Captain Milton Augusto Pereira de Souza, commanded the ACRUX Riverine Incursion Task Unit, made up of companies of Marines from the three countries, and emphasized “the expeditionary, amphibious and ready-to-use capacity in a cold climate riverine environment, some 2,800 km away from our base”.
“ACRUX 2026”
The exercise is run on a rotating basis by the navies of the participating countries and, at the closing ceremony of “ACRUX XI”, held on July 23 in Argentina, the minutes were signed formalizing the Brazilian Navy’s commitment to organize the next edition, scheduled for 2026.
The Commander of the 6th Naval District, Rear Admiral Alexandre Amendoeira Nunes, stressed that Brazil will be very well represented by hosting the largest riverine operation in South America. “In two years’ time, our Navy will receive units from these countries and I have no doubt that it will be a very well planned and conducted operation, especially after the lessons learned from edition XI.”
