By Guillermo Saavedra/Diálogo
The Latin American international maritime defense exhibition and congress ExpoNaval 2022 was held in the Port of Valparaíso, Chile, November 29-December 2, 2022. The event, one of the largest gatherings of the naval and defense industry in Latin America, featured a program focused on naval and maritime innovation and development.
“The 21st century is eminently maritime: Our prosperity depends on the oceans, where trade flows — data through submarine cables and energy through pipelines — and they are also a source of biological resources. Their health is paramount for the survival of the planet […],” defense analyst, executive director of the Chilean think tank Athenalab and moderator of Exponaval 2022, Juan Pablo Toro told Diálogo. “There are countries that can exploit this maritime domain in a positive way, which implies directing resources through the development of maritime-related industries, infrastructure and security forces.”
Exponaval 2022 brought together the navies of 35 countries, as well as exhibitors and companies specializing in technology, security, telecommunications, and shipyards, among others. All presented innovations and technological solutions in naval defense and maritime security, with the central theme: Challenges for Maritime Conditions in the 21st Century.
US Navy Rear Admiral Lorin Selby, chief of the Office of Naval Research (ONR); Admiral (ret.) Michael Noonan, former commander of the Australian Navy; US Ambassador to Chile Bernadette Meehan, and professors of the Royal United Services Institute were among event attendees. Some 5,000 people participated in total.
In line with the central theme, Vice Admiral Pablo Niemann, general director of the Chilean Navy Services, presented the Continuous National Shipbuilding Plan, which the Chilean Navy is promoting to build its own ships in the future. The Chilean Navy’s Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada (ASMAR) shipyard is currently building an icebreaker ship, which, according to the Chilean Navy, will be one of the most modern in the world. Two multipurpose ships are also planned with state-of-the-art technology to carry out humanitarian aid missions and respond to catastrophes, the Navy said on its website.
“These units, which will be more complex in terms of technology and design, will serve as a prelude for ASMAR […] to build frigates for our Navy in the future,” Vice Adm. Niemann said. “The Plan will promote not only the industry but will also be a source of opportunities for the academic world, will generate more employment, and will be a relevant contribution to Chile’s economy.”
“Because of the geography, its trade structure [95 percent maritime], size of its Navy, and presence in three continents, Chile has the conditions to be a maritime power, as it was in the 19th century,” Toro added. “But it will not be so until it understands the importance of the maritime aspect for the country’s development and future and establishes priorities in that space and assumes a maritime awareness among the population.”
The Chilean Navy also presented the Desafío Avante (Forward Challenge) 2022, an initiative aimed at solving problems that the Chilean Navy detects through scientific-technological based ventures, which can become suppliers to the defense sector and the civilian market, and which has the support of the ONR.
“We are very grateful for the welcome to our Navy and the collaborative project Desafío Avante,” Ambassador Meehan said via Twitter. “It was an honor to participate in Exponaval 2022 and I am very pleased to see US companies take advantage of this prestigious trade show to highlight our cutting-edge technologies in Chile and the region and that, at the same time, [Desafío Avante] is a testament to the long history of collaboration between our navies.”
Toro emphasized that the navies of Chile, Great Britain, and the United States, among others, not only protect their maritime territory, but also contribute to the stability of maritime theaters. This, with a key presence to maintain good order at sea, maritime lines of communication open, and away from state and non-state malicious actors, he said.
“This fair always allows us to add value to a series of processes that we carry out in the Chilean Navy. The fact that it is held in Chile allows more sailors to participate and be aware of the latest in technology,” Vice Adm. Niemann concluded.
