Indeed, Chile's military ties with Argentina are so close that the two countries have created a joint standby unit for international operations.

ECONOMIST: Chile

The 2100mAh battery powers the unit for about 16 hours of use (60 hours on standby) and can be charged to 70 percent capacity in about an hour.

ENGADGET: Topic: Mobile

The official said that, before the hostage incident, the unit had been headed to Senegal, where it was to be on standby for missions in Mali, but that it may now move elsewhere.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS