El Salvador and the United States have strengthened their joint maritime security capabilities through the Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) event, where Salvadoran and U.S. naval forces tested advanced manned and unmanned technologies to combat transnational drug trafficking and organized crime.
The joint military drills, held in El Salvador and coordinated with the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, involved the operation of unmanned and hybrid air-sea vehicles—tools increasingly vital in detecting, tracking, and disrupting criminal activity on the high seas. According to the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, these exercises led to successful drug seizures and arrests at sea by the Salvadoran Navy.
“The goal of FLEX is twofold,” explained Rear Admiral Carlos Sardiello, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command. “We aim to accelerate technological advancements through international cooperation and apply them to increase maritime domain awareness and combat illicit trafficking.”
Participating naval teams demonstrated their interoperability using autonomous systems that integrate surface, air, and underwater surveillance. These assets allowed forces to locate, track, assess, and intercept threats at greater distances with reduced crew fatigue.
“What we achieved in Comalapa is advanced data fusion,” said Commander Jon Williams, Director of Technology and