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NORFOLK, Va. – Naval leaders from across the Americas convened recently in Lima, Peru for the Submarine Conference of the Americas 2025 (SCOTA 25), a multinational conference showcasing and addressing national undersea domain capabilities, the challenges of interoperability, and undersea collaboration against strategic competitors in the Western Hemisphere. The conference, held from Aug. 19-21, marked a significant step toward enhanced regional security cooperation.
Hosted by U.S. and Peruvian navies, SCOTA 25 brought together delegations from Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The event featured opening remarks from Adm. Luis Polar, Chief of Naval Operations of Peru, and collaborative sessions focused on building upon the efforts of SCOTA 24.
“Organizing SCOTA in Peru for the first time outside the United States has been an important step in promoting the active participation of other countries in the region in this important initiative,” said Rear Adm. Luis Del Carpio, Commander Submarine Forces, Peruvian Navy. “Additionally, it provided an opportunity for participants to interact and visit the facilities of the Peruvian Submarine Force and its submarine rescue capabilities in case of an emergency, such as the visit to the BAP Carrasco.”
The conference included unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) demonstrations, prevention of mutual interference (PMI) sharing framework, submarine rescue collaboration and UNITAS exercise updates.
A live UUV demonstration at the Peruvian Naval Academy showcased the latest technologies and capabilities from both the U.S. and Peru. Experts emphasized the growing importance of UUVs in maritime surveillance, mine countermeasures and oceanographic research.
“SCOTA provides the participating nations the opportunity to establish professional networking within the submarine community of the region, and also to access from lessons learned and participate in demonstrations as the unmanned vehicle offered by the United States Navy,” said Del Carpio.
The signing of an updated PMI sharing framework aims to enhance intelligence sharing and coordination among participating nations regarding potential maritime threats.
The event offered a platform for nations to share expertise, build partnerships, and explore new technologies for addressing mutual challenges in the undersea domain. For Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, Commander of U.S. Submarine Forces, the conference proved pivotal in advancing these efforts.
“SCOTA 25 helped to strengthen our relationships and improve our ability to operate cooperatively to ensure we can defend the Americas,” said Gaucher. “Specific areas we are working to build multinational capacity and cooperatively burden share include submarine operations, robotic and autonomous systems, undersea domain awareness, and submarine rescue capabilities.”
As SCOTA 25 ended, it marked a significant step forward in regional cooperation and undersea security. The discussions and partnerships formed during the event laid a solid foundation for continued progress as the Americas look toward SCOTA 26.
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2025 15:04 |
| Story ID: | 549833 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Americas Unite for Submarine Security at SCOTA25, by SCPO Oliver Cole, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
