Landmark Training Exercise Deploys 600 Soldiers

More than 600 military personnel from the Chilean, Argentinian, and the United States armies are set to participate in Exercise Southern Fenix 24 (SF24), a multinational exercise focused on enhancing interoperability for multi-domain operations in the Atacama Desert of Chile 27 August to 5 September 2024.

SF24 will be the first U.S. Army-led exercise to deploy the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System platform within the U.S. Southern Command area of operations, pioneering new warfighting concepts in collaboration with the Chilean Army.

This landmark exercise aims to enhance technical and procedural interoperability between the Chilean and U.S. Armies while fostering stronger hemispheric cooperation and collaboration. The activities conducted during SF24 are aligned with the SOUTHCOM Campaign Plan and the U.S. National Defense Strategy, contributing to the broader objective of strengthening security and defense partnerships throughout the region.

SF24 will involve the deployment of aiproximately 200 U.S. Army personnel, to include Soldiers from U.S. Army South, 11th Airborne Division, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, 1st Security Forces Assistance Brigade, Joint Task Force Bravo, Joint Communications Support Element, Texas Army National Guard, the Utah Army National Guard, the New York National Guard, linguist support and the Inter-American Air Force Academy. These U.S. forces will train alongside over 300 Chilean Army personnel assigned to the 6th Division, as well as representatives from the Argentine military.

The exercise will include the expeditionary deployment of a M142 HIMARS section and fire direction center, as well as a U.S. Army Airborne company. Key training events will feature a combine forceable entry; airfield seizure; HIMARS rapid integration; reception, staging, onward movement and integration; and a combined field training exercise culminating in two live-fire exercises — one with maneuver and one with rocket artillery forces.