The U.S. Marines are charging into the 66th iteration of UNITAS, the world’s longest-running multinational maritime train. The train kicked off on Sept. 15, 2025, aboard the Corps’ premier east coast coaching vacation spot – Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. UNITAS LXVI is a robust alternative to train multinational interoperability capabilities; with over 2,000 Marines becoming a member of forces with servicemembers from 25 companion nations to sharpen their edge in amphibious warfare and regional safety.
A Pivotal Shift
From a Marine Corps perspective, UNITAS 2025 represents a pivotal shift. For the first time in its storied historical past, the train’s amphibious section is anchored at a significant Marine set up like Camp Lejeune, fairly than conventional South American venues. This home-field benefit permits for unprecedented scale, with LtGen Leonard F. Anderson IV, commander of Marine Forces South (often known as MARFORSOUTH) and Marine Forces Reserve, emphasizing its transformative potential. “UNITAS is a premier occasion for us to coach alongside our allies and companions in a mixed pressure,” Anderson stated. “This yr’s train will assist us develop into a extra built-in naval expeditionary pressure with the U.S. Navy and construct upon the amphibious and littoral fight energy of all of the members. I’m extraordinarily pleased with the work that went into the most important recognized UNITAS that we even have the pleasure to host.”
Collaboration is the crux of this yr’s occasion. Marines are teaming up with counterparts from Argentina, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, and Spain for the amphibious portion alone. These partnerships assist the international locations construct shared ways and methods. For example, U.S. Marines with the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion carried out shut air help coaching alongside Brazilian Marines, honing tactical skillcraft and fostering belief and seamless communication in high-stakes situations.
City warfare stays a prime coaching occasion as effectively. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, together with companion nation Marine forces, carried out patrols at city coaching environments aboard Camp Lejeune. Tactical workouts like these add realism, with Marines and allies coordinating synchronized assaults. Coaching like this helps to showcase MARFORSOUTH’s position because the U.S. Southern Command’s Marine element, centered on deterring threats throughout Central America, South America, and the Caribbean by way of fast disaster response and capacity-building in lifelike situations.
Integrating Know-how
A standout spotlight is the combination of cutting-edge know-how, spotlighting improvements from the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. Marines with the Maritime Distribution Platoon, 2nd Distribution Assist Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (or “MLG”), are experimenting with the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) – a stealthy, 55-foot unmanned floor craft designed for expeditionary superior base operations (or “EABO,” a key requirement of Marine Corps Drive Design 2030). Throughout UNITAS, the 2nd MLG is partnering with MCWL to check the ALPV’s refueling and logistics capabilities, decreasing it into the surf at Camp Lejeune for real-world trials. This low-signature vessel, able to hauling provides, weapons, or even Naval Strike Missiles throughout contested waters, enhances agility and survivability in littoral environments. Marines are subsequently utilizing UNITAS 2025 as an opportunity to push the envelope on unmanned techniques to make logistics extra deadly and resilient. ALPV operations can combine with unmanned air and submarine belongings for a multi-domain edge, representing how Marines can collaborate internally and with companions to redefine maritime sustainment, drawing classes that might ripple past SOUTHCOM to different theaters (equivalent to INDOPACOM).
In an period of great-power competitors, UNITAS 2025 reaffirms the Marine Corps’ dedication to hemispheric unity whereas showcasing a full-spectrum demonstration of littoral fight energy. By working in lifelike, crisis-like situations, members deter aggression and bolster collective response capabilities. As Anderson put it, this integration forges a “extra built-in naval expeditionary pressure.” For the Marines of MARFORSOUTH, it’s extra than simply coaching; it is the forge the place alliances are tempered into unbreakable metal, making certain peace and safety throughout the Americas.
