Embassy of the United States

Tradewinds 2009

Bahamas to Host 25th Annual Tradewinds 2009 Exercise:  March 4 - 18

More than 500 U.S. service members, Caribbean nations’ security forces personnel and British Royal Marines will participate in the 25^th annual Tradewinds exercise, March 4-18 at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Base, Coral Harbour.  Sixteen Caribbean nations will participate along with the U.S. and U.K.  This year is the 25^th anniversary of Exercise Tradewinds.

Tradewinds is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs directed, U.S. Southern Command sponsored annual exercise that is conducted in cooperation with Caribbean Basin Partner Nations.  The exercise is designed to improve cooperation and interoperability of Partner Nations in responding to regional security threats.  U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, in Miami, is the executive agent for the exercise.

This year’s exercise focuses on maritime interdiction and search and rescue operations with an emphasis on command and control.  The exercise includes boarding party operations training, evidence processing and hazardous material identification and handling.

“The goals of Tradewinds 2009 are to better coordinate partner nations’ search and rescue and maritime interdiction operations, increase maritime domain awareness and better coordinate end-game seizure of illicit-trafficking vessels that can be used to smuggle terrorist, weapons, explosives or narcotics,” said Maj. Landon Hutchens, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, exercise coordinator.  “The U.S. and the Caribbean share common interests, and regional challenges require cooperative solutions. Illicit trafficking is a threat faced by all nations in the region. We are all committed to building lasting partnerships that will enhance our ability to work effectively together.”                                               

Tradewinds 2009 is a maritime operations exercise that supports USSOUTHCOM’s theatre security cooperation objectives and exercises the assets and capability provided under the Enduring Friendship program.  Enduring Friendship is a USSOUTHCOM sponsored program to build maritime security capabilities throughout the Caribbean. The program provides high-speed interceptor boats with extensive communication and surveillance suites, as well as, a command, control and communication package that links U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force-South    (JIATF-S) with partner nation’s operations centers to track and coordinate the seizure of illicit maritime traffic. 

The goals of the Enduring Friendship program are to improve command, control communication capability, increase partner nation interoperability, integrate a common operational picture and provide Partner Nations will an overall improved maritime interdiction capability.

Successful training of Exercise Tradewinds’ participants will enable them to return to their respective nations to further train their nation’s security forces.

The nations that will participate in Exercise Tradewinds 2009 are Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, St. Kitts-Neves, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, United Kingdom and United States.

Tradewinds is a joint-combined, interagency exercise and will involve U.S. personnel from the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, JIATF-S, Naval Criminal Investigative (NCIS) and Drug Enforcement Agency.  Additionally partner nations’ maritime security forces, Royal Marine Commandos and the personnel from the Caribbean Regional Security System will also participate.

Tradewinds 2009 Press Releases:

Tradewinds Opening Ceremony