Uruguay leads international CBRN exercise at Rivera Airport, FLIR device spotted
The Uruguayan army's "Ansina" battalion of combat engineers no.6, in coordination with the Uruguayan air force, led an international CBRN exercise at Rivera Airport in the north of the country on 26 March 2026.
Posting on their Facebook channel, the "Ansina" battalion wrote that the exercise "Safe Aquifer" allowed participants to practise response procedures to incidents involving radiological material and crisis situations. The exercise was conducted in a joint environment with forces from the region as well as international agencies, including from neighbouring Brazil.
During the exercise, the Uruguayan army's military dog platoon was employed to confirm or rule out the presence of explosive devices in an aircraft under hostile control. "The activity reaffirmed the joint response capacity and the operational readiness of the battalion in the face of risk scenarios, in coordination with other state agencies," the battalion wrote.
Comments from the commander
Commenting on the exercise on LinkedIn, the commander of the "Ansina" battalion of combat engineers no.6, Major Rodrigo Manzo, said: "Our staff demonstrated, once again, a high level of professionalism, discipline and responsiveness to demanding and unusual scenarios.
"These types of instances test not only technical know-how, but also the ability to deploy quickly, adapt to complex environments and operate efficiently under pressure."
He added: "I would like to highlight in particular the values that characterise our staff: a vocation for service, responsibility, esprit de corps and a permanent commitment to the mission. It is these principles that allow the 'Ansina' battalion to rise to current and future challenges.
"These types of activities not only strengthen our operational capabilities, but also consolidate confidence in our forces, demonstrating that we are prepared to act when the country needs it.
"My recognition to all the members who participated and represented the unit with excellence."
FLIR device spotted
In one photo released by the "Ansina" battalion of the Uruguayan army, one operative can be seen holding a FLIR identiFINDER R400 handheld radionuclide identification device.
According to FLIR Defense, the device is the most widely used handheld radionuclide identification device in the world, with over 20,000 units deployed.
