Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Zona Militar
6 March, 2026
"FIDAE 2026: L3Harris presentará el sistema de guerra electrónica Viper Shield para equipar a los F-16 de las Fuerzas Aéreas sudamericanas"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Zona Militar
6 de Marzo del 2026
"Turkey Expands Global Defense Influence: From the Turkic World to Latin America"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Turan Center
18 November, 2025
Turkey’s defense industry is entering a new phase of global expansion—with Latin America emerging as its next strategic frontier. The recent delivery of Otokar vehicles to Ecuador and the ratification of a defense cooperation agreement with Brazil are recent developments in a potential attempt by Ankara to replicate its success in the Turkic world across the Western Hemisphere.
From Regional Power to Global Exporter
Global instability, advanced defense technologies, and new markets have ushered in a golden age for defense industries. Turkey, once a net importer of military hardware, is expanding its global footprint by selling to longstanding allies and new clients.
"El CMS 330 de Lockheed Martin Canadá, una opción para modernizar el sistema de combate de los destructores MEKO 360 de la Armada Argentina"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Zona Militar
25 de Abril, 2025
Zona Militar habló con Glenn Copeland, Gerente General de Lockheed Martin Canadá, durante la exposición Sea Air Space a principios de abril, sobre el Sistema de Gestión de Combate 330 (CMS-330) de la compañía, que actualmente opera la Armada de Canadá. Este sistema también ha encontrado clientes en Sudamérica, concretamente en Chile, y se buscan otros clientes potenciales tanto en Sudamérica como en Europa.
"Lockheed’s CMS-330 solidifies role in Canada, clients sought in South America"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Zona Militar
25 April 2025
Zona Militar spoke with Glenn Copeland, General Manager of Lockheed Martin Canada, at the Sea Air Space expo in early April about the company’s Combat Management System 330 (CMS-330), which is operated by the Canadian Navy. The system has also found clients in South America, namely Chile, with other potential customers sought in South America and Europe.
"Science, Cooperation, and Winter Uniforms: The Role of South American Militaries in Antarctica"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
CSIS Americas Program
20 March 2025
March is the month of the famous carnivals in South America. However, the month also signifies the end of the Antarctic summer campaigns. Argentina and Chile are two of the seven countries that claim Antarctic territory, but other South American countries are also present on the frozen continent. The cornerstone of these annual campaigns, unsurprisingly, is the armed forces. As Antarctica’s importance grows, it is necessary to understand the strategies and objectives of South American governments toward the southernmost region. And to do that, we need to understand the role of South American militaries.
"South American shipyards end 2024 positively as regional navies bet on local manufacturers"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Naval Warfare
Shephard
23 December 2024
"Chilean Navy commissions icebreaker as race for Antarctica heats up"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Naval Warfare
Shephard Media
30 July, 2024
Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/chilean-navy-commissions-icebreaker-as-race-for-antarctica-heats-up/
"With back-to-back deals in Peru, South Korea defense industry expands South American foothold"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Breaking Defense
20 May, 2024
Originally published: https://breakingdefense.com/2024/05/with-back-to-back-deals-in-peru-south-korea-defense-industry-expands-south-american-foothold/
A new shipbuilding deal could be a test case that, if successful, could lead for years more work and millions more in deals for Seoul, in Peru and South America.
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Breaking Defense
Land Warfare
23 August 2023
Originally published: https://breakingdefense.com/2023/08/unmanned-ground-vehicles-face-a-rare-market-challenge-in-south-america-horses/
WASHINGTON — South American militaries, like many across the globe, are looking at the potential for unmanned ground vehicles. And it’s easy to see why: UGVs have a wide variety of uses, from rescue operation to surveillance to participating in combat.
"Lithium Industry: US Senate Approves Critical Tax Treaty with Chile"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Situation Report
Geopolitical Monitor
7 July, 2023
Originally published: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/lithium-industry-us-senate-approves-critical-tax-treaty-with-chile/
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Situation Report
Geopolitical Monitor
7 June, 2023
Originally published: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/this-machine-runs-on-water-lithium-in-latin-america/
Lithium is the next big mining boom given that the mineral can be utilized for lithium batteries which are currently, and for the foreseeable future, in high demand as the world craves green energy. South America has the world’s largest lithium deposits, among other critical and rare minerals, with Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile forming the so-called Lithium Triangle and neighboring Peru looking to export lithium and locally-made lithium batteries sometime this decade. (I have discussed lithium deposits in Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru in previous analyses for Geopolitical Monitor). One vital issue to remember though, lithium’s dirty little secret, is the water usage and water pollution involved in the extraction process.
"Chile sails ahead with construction of new naval transport vessel"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Naval Warfare
Shephard Media
1 June, 2023
Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/chile-sails-ahead-with-construction-of-new-naval-transport-vessel/
"Hospital Ships: A Vital Asset for SOUTHCOM and South American Navies"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
The Southern Tide
Center for International Maritime Security
24 January 2023
Originally published: https://cimsec.org/hospital-ships-a-vital-asset-for-southcom-and-south-american-navies/
The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) has returned to Latin American waters, as the vessel carried out a medical assistance mission across the Caribbean from October to December 2022. This is the first time in years Comfort has been in the region since the pandemic begun. Other South American navies also have hospital vessels that carry out similar missions, primarily for their domestic populations. Hospital ships are some of the region’s most vital yet underappreciated assets, while also being one of the most tangible elements of how many regional populations interact with navies. The U.S. and regional countries should consider the benefits of hospital ship operations with a view toward potentially investing in more of these valuable vessels.
"South American shipyards maintain their tempo"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez and Tim Fish
Naval Warfare
Shephard Media
9 March, 2022
Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/construction-starts-on-chiles-amphibious-transport/
The 27 February announcement from Chilean shipyard ASMAR that it has cut first steel on a new amphibious vessel for the Chilean Navy came at a time of strong activity for South American naval shipbuilding.
Argentine state-run shipyard Tandanor is preparing to build a new polar vessel with Finnish assistance, while efforts continue in neighbouring Brazil on an indigenously constructed vessel for Antarctic operations.
"FAMAE sets sights on 122mm MLRS"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Shephard Media
11 January, 2022
Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/famae-sets-sights-on-122mm-mlrs/
Chilean state-run defence company Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército (FAMAE) is developing a 122mm MLRS with a range of up to 40km in a project called Divison General René Echeverría.
"La Creación de un TIAR 21 para Combatir la Pesca Ilegal en Latinoamérica"
" The Creation of a TIAR 21 to Combat Illegal Fishing in Latin America"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Regional Insights
William J. Perry -Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
National Defense University/ Washington DC
July 2021
Originally published: https://www.williamjperrycenter.org/content/creation-tiar-21-combat-illegal-fishing-latin-america
In Spanish
"Made in Latin America: Domestically Manufactured Ecuadorian and Peruvian Ships Meet in the Pacific"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
The Southern Tide
Center for International Maritime Security
17 June 2021
Originally published: https://cimsec.org/made-in-latin-america-domestically-manufactured-ecuadorian-and-peruvian-ships-meet-in-the-pacific/
The Ecuadorian coast guard vessel Isla Santa Cruz escorted the Peruvian training vessel BAP Unión while the latter sailed through Ecuadorian waters as part of a training mission in mid-May. While cordial encounters at sea between ships belonging to friendly navies are quite common, a curious fact about this meeting is that both vessels were manufactured domestically by local state-run shipyards.
"Chilean Navy chief targets 2030 for indigenous frigates"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Naval Warfare
Shephard Media
24 May, 2021
Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/chilean-navy-chief-targets-2030-indigenous-frigate/
Chilean naval planners and government policy-makers recently reiterated calls to build up a domestic shipbuilding capability, although the South American country still lacks the industrial depth to undertake major programmes independently.
Adm Julio Leiva Molina, Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Navy, stated the case in a recent webinar called ‘Construcción Naval ...
"TIAR 2.0: Breathing New Life into a Cold War-era inter-American Defense Treaty"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Situation Reports
Geopolitical Monitor
9 April, 2021
Originally published: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/tiar-2-0-breathing-new-life-into-a-cold-war-era-inter-american-defense-treaty/
International diplomacy is composed of an endless list of treaties, agreements, memoranda of understanding, among other types of documents between states. As events unfold and national interests and objectives shift, many of these treaties become obsolete, forgotten or replaced by new treaties. One document that is in the edge of becoming obsolete is the Inter-American Reciprocal Assistance Treaty (Tratado Inter-Americano de Asistencia Recíproca: TIAR), commonly known as the Rio Treaty.
"Friends from Afar: U.S. and South Korea Coast Guards Help South America Combat IUU Fishing"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
The Southern Tide
Center for International Maritime Security
February 24, 2021
Originally published: https://cimsec.org/friends-from-afar-u-s-and-south-korea-coast-guards-help-south-america-combat-iuu-fishing/
The Southern Tide
Written by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, The Southern Tide addresses maritime security issues throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses the challenges regional navies face including limited defense budgets, inter-state tensions, and transnational crimes. It also examines how these challenges influence current and future defense strategies, platform acquisitions, and relations with global powers.
“We focus on partnerships…Our partners want to work with us. They want the advantage of the United States education, training, exercises and military equipment. It’s the best in the world. And so it’s up to us to deliver that in a way that’s relevant and also provides a return on investment for American taxpayer. So that is our focus.” –Navy Adm. Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 9, 2019.
By Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Introduction
A deployment by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Stone (WMSL-758) to the South Atlantic, and two coast guard patrol vessels donated by the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) to the Ecuadorian Navy, are some of the latest initiatives by South America’s partners to help regional navies combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. As large, extra-hemispheric fishing fleets continue to actively operate close to South American waters, often crossing into the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of regional states, navies require additional ships and the physical presence of partner navies to combat these crimes. In the vast waters of the South Pacific and South Atlantic, every ship counts.
"PREMIUM: Chile picks design partner for Escotillón IV"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Naval Warfare
Shephard Media
15 February 2021
Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/premium-chile-picks-design-partner-escotillon-iv/
An amphibious and military transport vessel will be designed by Canada-based Vard Marine for the Chilean Navy, under the Escotillón IV programme to modernise fleet transport operations.
The new vessels will be based on existing Vard Series 7 designs and will be adapted to the specific requirements of the Chilean ...
