The United States has trained for the defense of the Panama Canal during a joint exercise with the Central American country amid concerns over China’s growing presence in the region.

The exercise, code-named PANAMAX-Alpha Phase I and scheduled from July 13 to 18, was designed to “reinforce preparation for threats to the security of the Panama Canal and other strategic infrastructure,” according to the National Aeronaval Service of Panama.

Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

Why It Matters

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth previously warned of China‘s expanding military and economic presence and influence in the Western Hemisphere—a region long viewed as the U.S.’s backyard, which includes Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

The Pentagon chief’s warning follows U.S. President Donald Trump‘s claim that China “operates” the Panama Canal, a waterway vital to global trade. The canal, which the U.S. built, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and has been under Panama’s control since 1999.

Facing pressure from the Trump administration, Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison agreed in March to sell its stake in Panama’s ports at the canal’s Pacific and Atlantic entrances to an American-led consortium. Trump later declared victory over the $23 billion acquisition.

What To Know

The Joint Task Force-Bravo of the U.S. Southern Command deployed three helicopters—two UH-60 Black Hawk and one CH-47 Chinook aircraft—for the exercise, which took place at three air bases in Panama, according to the National Aeronaval Service of Panama.

The exercise included boarding and disembarkation operations, fast-rope insertion, rescue crane extraction, and maritime platform communication—all carried out with “full respect for national sovereignty,” Panama’s National Aeronaval Service said in a statement.

In a set of photos released on Monday, Panamanian soldiers were seen riding in a CH-47 helicopter during the exercise. Joint Task Force-Bravo said the drill was designed to enhance the countries’ ability to conduct multinational operations, “particularly to defend the Panama Canal.”

The Southern Command is one of the Pentagon’s combatant commands, responsible for “providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation” within its area of responsibility—a region that includes Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

The Joint Task Force-Bravo was established to enhance security in Central America and to defend the U.S. homeland and national interests. The unit has been conducting missions for more than 40 years, making it the longest-standing joint task force in the U.S. military.

Meanwhile, U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 25th Infantry Division arrived in Panama to advance joint security efforts between the two nations, including site surveys for potential future training locations, the U.S. Southern Command said in a news release on Wednesday.

What People Are Saying

The Joint Task Force-Bravo of the U.S. Southern Command said in a photo caption on Monday: “By working with partner nations and leadership regionally, the U.S. creates unity of effort in addressing shared challenges such as transboundary and transregional criminality and region security.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced at the 2025 Central American Security Conference in April: “We’re also expanding training—military training, increased military education and exchanges, and conducting more robust joint exercises. We’re going to increase cooperation to deter threats, to seize opportunities to bolster our shared defense.”

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen how the U.S. military will further expand its presence across Central and South America. A U.S. naval hospital ship, USNS Comfort, has been conducting a medical mission known as Continuing Promise 2025 in the region since May 30.