All articles tagged with #valiant shield 2026
The U.S. and partners wrapped up 10 days of Valiant Shield 2026 in the Philippine Sea, highlighting integrated anti-submarine warfare, drone testing, and live-fire drills including a SINKEX of the decommissioned USS Juneau, with participation from Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia to showcase interoperability and readiness for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
A decommissioned USS Juneau (LPD-10) was sunk in the Philippine Sea during the Valiant Shield 2026 SINKEX by a JMSDF submarine, with aircraft from the George Washington Carrier Strike Group and allied forces supporting the strike, as part of a multinational, multi-domain exercise that also ties into RIMPAC 2026 and ongoing emphasis on unmanned undersea systems and long-range fires.
A week of major Western Pacific maneuvers sees the US-led Valiant Shield 2026 and Rim of the Pacific 2026 unfold with carrier strike groups, submarines, and advanced unmanned systems, involving Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other partners across Guam, Japan, the CNMI, and the Indian Ocean. The drills feature anti-submarine warfare, air and missile defense, joint air operations, and interoperability tests, set against continued regional tensions from China, Russia, and North Korea, as well as related transit and maneuver activities by PLAN, JMSDF, and allied forces.