IONA ISLAND, N.Y.- A Brazilian naval officer braved cold spring rain, and a choppy Hudson River alongside the crew of the New York Naval Militia’s Landing Craft 351 on May 30, 2026 as they executed Exercise Empire Challenge 2026.
“The weather is much different in Brazil,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ramon Lucena dos Santos, as he tried to keep warm while watching the Naval Militia team establish an exclusion zone in the river as the exercise played out.
Lucena was in New York as part of the State Partnership Program training relationship between Brazil’s military and the New York National Guard. The New York National Guard and Brazil have been partners since 2019.
The New York Naval Militia is the largest state naval force in the country,...
