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Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, welcomes Brig. Gen. Omar Randall, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South deputy commander to U.S. 4th Fleet Headquarters onboard Naval Station Mayport. The two leaders discussed exercise Integrated Advance 2025, where Sailors and Marines are serving together for the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC), working through a contingency scenario in the USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR) to validate warfighting functions and clarify phase transitions at the operational level of war. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central and South America maritime forces leading to improved unity, security and stability.

March 13, 2025

Sailors and Marines Team Up for Integrated Advance 2025

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. — Sailors from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSOUTH/FOURTHFLT) and Marines from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH) are serving together on the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) staff during Exercise Integrated Advance 2025.

United Kingdom Royal Navy River-class offshore patrol vessel HMS Medway (P 223) steams alongside Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) as a NH-90 Neptune helicopter assigned to Royal Netherlands Navy Holland-class offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Groningen (P843) flies in the distance while conducting trilateral operations in the Caribbean Sea, March 3, 2025. USS Normandy and USS Thomas Hudner are scheduled to protect U.S. interests in the region and strengthen maritime partnerships through bilateral, trilateral, and multinational maritime operations and Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) port visits. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the maritime component of U.S. Southern Command and the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central, and South American maritime forces leading to improved unity, security, and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dylan M. Kinee/Released)

March 6, 2025

Trilateral Maritime Exercise Supports Allied Interoperability

CARIBBEAN SEA — Showing the benefits of maritime presence in the Caribbean, three warships and one aircraft from three allies conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX) on Mar. 3 designed to increase interoperability and enhance capability. The U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60) and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) joined the United Kingdom (U.K.) Royal Navy River-class offshore patrol vessel HMS Medway (P223) and a NH90 Neptune helicopter assigned to the Royal Netherlands Navy Holland-class offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Groningen (P843) for the PASSEX.

Delegates from the U.S.-Ecuador Maritime Staff Talks pose for a group photo at the historic St. Francis Barracks, now headquarters building of the Florida National Guard, in St. Augustine, Fla., February 27, 2025. Maritime Staff Talks (MST) serve as an annual comprehensive engagement venue to program, direct, and coordinate all maritime activities between the U.S. and Partner Nations. The overarching MST objective is to increase coordination and integration across the U.S. maritime services and Partner Nations to plan and conduct theater-level security cooperation in order to provide combatant commanders more effective and efficient maritime force packages. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central and South America maritime forces leading to improved unity, security and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Steven Khor/Released)

Feb. 28, 2025

U.S. 4th Fleet Conducts Maritime Staff Talks with Ecuador

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, hosted a delegation from the Ecuadorian Navy (Armada del Ecuador) for Maritime Staff Talks (MST) Feb. 27-28. Discussions focused on upcoming exercises, including Ecuador's participation in UNITAS 2025, which will serve as a key event commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversaries of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

This year's UNITAS, the longest-running multinational maritime exercise in the world, will combine the efforts of Allies and Partners from across the globe and serve as the introduction to Navy 250 - the U.S. Navy's year-long birthday celebration. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the maritime component of U.S. Southern Command and the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central, and South American maritime forces leading to improved unity, security, and stability.

Feb. 14, 2025

UNITAS 2025 Initial Planning Conference Concludes - Multinational Exercise to Kickoff Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th Birthdays

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UNITAS 2025, themed “A Legacy of Maritime Partnerships,” will be one of the largest and most complex in the exercise’s history, featuring a comprehensive range of maritime operations, including a live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) and amphibious landings. The exercise will take place from September 15 to October 6, 2025, off the East Coast of the United States, with shore-based events in Naval Station Mayport, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and Naval Station Norfolk.

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (February 5, 2025) U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello meets with Sailors attached to Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Saint Louis (LCS 19) aboard the ship during their support of Operation Southern Guard at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, February 5, 2025. At the direction of the President of the United States to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense, U.S. military service members are supporting removal operations led by DHS at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. (U.S. Navy photo by Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Public Affairs)

Feb. 6, 2025

U.S. NAVY LEADERS OBSERVE JOINT TASK FORCE SOUTHERN GUARD OPERATIONS

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, and Rear Adm. John Hewitt, Commander, Navy Region Southeast, visited Joint Task Force Southern Guard onboard Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB) February 5 and 6, as the Joint Task Force prepares to receive illegal aliens from the United States. Sardiello and Hewitt accompanied Adm. Alvin Holsey, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, during the visit. At the direction of the President to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. military service members are supporting Illegal Aliens holding operations led by DHS at NGSB. U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) has set up Joint Task Force Southern Guard at the Naval Station to execute the directive.

Sailors assigned to Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS St. Louis (LCS 19) and Coast Guardsmen assigned to U.S. Coast Guard District 7 erect expeditionary shelter tents in support of the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay’s Migrant Operations Center expansion February 2, 2025. At the direction of the President of the United States to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense, U.S. military service members are supporting removal operations led by DHS at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

Feb. 4, 2025

USS St. Louis (LCS-19) Supports Operation Southern Guard at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS St. Louis (LCS 19) is moored at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB) and the crew is supporting the expansion of the base’s Migrant Operations Center as part of Operation Southern Guard.

Jan. 27, 2025

Operation Southern Spear: Latest Development in Operationalizing Robotic and Autonomous Systems

MAYPORT, Fla. — U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet finalizes preparations for Operation Southern Spear, extending robotic and autonomous systems durations within the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.

Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, and attending Foreign Area Officers (FAO) from the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility participate in the group photo during U.S. 4th Fleet’s annual Maritime Synchronization Symposium. This year’s symposium theme was “Global Challenges in Regional Context”, and featured speakers from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, Florida International University, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Participants representing 14 countries and more than 20 outside agencies and commands also heard from planners to synchronize support of the upcoming Continuing Promise 2025 deployment of hospital ship USNS Comfort to the region and the UNITAS 2025 multinational maritime exercise, which the U.S. Navy will host in honor of the Navy’s 250th birthday. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central and South America maritime forces leading to improved unity, security and stability.

Dec. 6, 2024

Global Challenges in Regional Context U.S. 4th Fleet Hosts 2024 Maritime Synchronization Symposium

MAYPORT, Fla. — U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S.4th Fleet hosted its annual Maritime Synchronization Symposium onboard Naval Station Mayport, Fla., Dec. 3-6, 2024.

Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic participated in U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s annual Hybrid Fleet Campaign (HFC) event in Key West Harbor from Sept. 19 to 26. During the experiment that involved two dozen unmanned air/surface/underwater vehicles, NIWC Atlantic assessed how emerging communications capabilities integrated with unmanned systems both ashore and aboard the expeditionary fast transport USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10). The hybrid fleet is a Joint Warfighting Concept designed to deter and defeat any enemy through the integration and scaling of unmanned platforms to the fleet level.

Sept. 27, 2024

2024 Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event Tests Technology for Future Operations

KEY WEST, Fla. — USNAVSOUTH/4th Fleet performs technology testing during annual Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event. The event focused on evaluating attritable unmanned kill chains, assuring command and control, and leveraging non-traditional small business innovations. It served as both a proving ground for emerging technologies and an opportunity for partner nations and industry leaders to witness capabilities that could support the hybrid fleet.

UNITAS LXV commenced today in Valparaiso, Chile, with 17 ships, two submarines, and 23 aircraft operated and supported by more than 4,300 Sailors and Marines from 24 nations. UNITAS is the world's longest-running multinational maritime exercise, conceived in 1959 and executed without fail since 1960.

Sept. 2, 2024

UNITAS LXV Begins in Valparaiso, Chile

VALPARAISO, Chile — Navy and Marine forces arrived in Valparaiso in support of UNITAS LXV (65), the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise in the world, which officially commenced September 2, 2024. The Chilean navy is hosting this year's UNITAS, which will feature 17 warships/vessels, two submarines, 20 aircraft (fixed wing/helicopter), and more than 4,300 personnel from 24 partner nations. Forces will conduct operations off the coast of Valparaiso, Chile, and ashore in the vicinity of Puerto Aldea, Chile, through September 12.

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