The United States and Colombia have launched Exercise Southern Vanguard 2027, a joint military exercise bringing together about 800 troops in Colombia, the US Army said. The exercise began on 2 November at the Tolemaida military base and is scheduled to run until mid-November.

About 350 US military personnel and more than 400 Colombian Army soldiers are taking part in the 41st iteration of the annual exercise. It is hosted by the Colombian Army, sponsored by US Southern Command and led by the US Army Western Hemisphere Command.

The training focuses on jungle warfare and counter-improvised explosive device skills, alongside maritime interdiction, cyber defence, ground security and medical evacuation. Pre-exercise activity began on 30 October with an aeromedical evacuation scenario from Tolemaida to the Cavalry School in Bogota.

The exercise follows the creation of the US Army Western Hemisphere Command during a force restructuring in late 2025, as Washington directs greater attention to the region. The previous Southern Vanguard exercise took place in Sauce, Peru, in September 2026. The Army describes Southern Vanguard 2027 as a training exercise designed to strengthen security cooperation and build readiness, rather than a combat operation.