Amid growing concerns over alleged Chinese influence near the Panama Canal, the U.S. military has partnered with Panamanian police to launch a new round of joint exercises focused on securing the strategic waterway.
The latest drills began with the arrival of three U.S. Army helicopters — two UH-60 Black Hawks and a CH-47 Chinook — at Panama-Pacific Airport, the site of the former U.S. Howard Air Base.
This marks the second set of exercises in recent weeks, conducted under an existing bilateral agreement that permits the U.S. to utilize Panamanian military infrastructure for training, without establishing permanent bases.
