News

Top News | Aug. 13, 2026

Southcom Mission Shifts to Protecting Sovereignty of U.S., Partner Nations

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met in Panama with U.S. service members who are learning how to survive in the most brutal, unforgiving jungles of the Western Hemisphere, all while retaining their combat effectiveness.

SOUTHCOM Release | Aug. 13, 2026

Gen. Donovan Visits Panama

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, conducted a five-day scheduled visit to Panama to reinforce regional security objectives, review exercise PANAMAX 2026 multinational training, and join senior leaders,

Strengthening Partnerships | Aug. 13, 2026

Missouri National Guard supports PANAMAX 2026 cyber defense partnership

Soldiers with the Missouri National Guard’s 179th Cyber Protection Team and Defensive Cyber Operations Element (DCOE) are supporting collaborative cyber defense exercises with multinational partners as part of PANAMAX 2026, Aug. 3-13, 2026, in

Commander


U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan is the Commander of U.S. Southern Command. Gen. Donovan assumed command Feb. 5, 2026

GEN. DONOVAN'S BIO

Four Imperatives

SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan has developed four imperatives to posture the U.S. military to confront the threats facing the Western Hemisphere.

 

  1. Strengthen hemispheric command and control. 

  2. Impose total systemic friction on drug cartels and terrorist organizations. 

  3. Develop and field cost-effective, modernized forces tailored for the mission. 

  4. Deny adversary footholds and undue influence in the Western Hemisphere.

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Videos

Video by Tech. Sgt. Emili Koonce
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MAAS Installation Complete for Relampago VI
Air Forces Southern
July 10, 2021 | 1:43
Airmen assigned to the 474th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron completed an install and certification of a mobile aircraft arresting system prior to the commencement of Exercise Relampago VI on a shared runway with CACOM 5 and Jose Maria Cordova International Airport, July 9. The first ever MAAS install and certification at CACOM 5 is critical to maintaining mission readiness for ensuring safe fighter aircraft diverts to a runway. Relampago VI is a combined Colombian and U.S. exercise taking place in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) theater that focuses on techniques, tactics and procedures to strengthen the longstanding partnership between our armed forces.
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