UNITAS, which is Latin for unity, united, or oneness, was conceived in 1959 when representatives at the first Inter-American Naval Conference in Panama agreed to conduct an annual maritime exercise with one another. The first UNITAS took place in 1960 with forces from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, the United States, and Venezuela. This year marks the 66th iteration of the world’s longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise.
U.S. Marines and participating multinational forces kick off UNITAS LXVI (66), the world’s longest-running maritime exercise with military forces from 25 partner nations from Europe, the Caribbean, North, Central and South America, along with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps units, to strengthen interoperability, enhance maritime security and foster collaboration in the region.