Army to simulate real-time scenarios at Kingston Waterfront

The exercise, which will run from January 12-26, is a multinational, multiagency and multi domain event.

It is expected to simulate real-time scenarios to provide the appropriate response.

Exercise Event Horizon, which is now in its third year, is a high-level validation programme designed to simulate real-world threats or disasters in a controlled environment.

The exercise provides participating nations and agencies (local, regional and international) with the opportunity to test their readiness, coordination, and operational capabilities.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on January 9, Brigade Commander at MACC and Officer Scheduling Exercise (OSE), Brigadier Elon Clarke, emphasised the significance of the exercise, in addressing the dynamic and complex threats faced by the region and the world.

“This exercise is a critical opportunity for us to engage with both local and international partners, ensuring that we can collectively address issues such as illicit trafficking, migration, natural disasters, search and rescue operations, and cyberthreats,” Brigadier Clarke said.

The exercise will feature several activities that will take place in Jamaica, The Cayman Islands and offshore Haiti.

“It gives us an opportunity to interact with all of our partners, both near and far, that we would normally interact with and work with whenever we have real-world events.

It’s an opportunity for us to engage the partners but also to bring our local entities in,” Brigadier Clarke said.

“This exercise allows us to not only train and test our responses but also validate them through a rigorous rubric system. By the end, we can confirm that entities involved have demonstrated the capability and capacity to respond effectively to real-world emergencies,” he added.

The exercise brings together a broad coalition of nations, agencies, and local entities, which will carry out exercises under the thematic areas of Maritime Security, Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue, Cybersecurity and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR).

“It represents a clear demonstration of nations and agencies commitment to safeguarding our individual countries, and that is critical; internationally, regionally, that is what is required. It has to be a collaborative affair and that is what Exercise Event Horizon strikes to achieve,” Brigadier Clarke said.