U.S. Pacific Command joint forces, along with allied and partner forces, kicked off Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 today in the Indo-Pacific region.
The training exercise will run until July 1 and take place in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Japan and at sea around the Mariana Islands Range Complex.
Valiant Shield 26 is a multinational, biennial field training exercise focused on integrating interoperability training in a multidomain environment. This training builds real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, in space, on land and in cyberspace.
Exercises such as VS26 enable all U.S. forces and allies across the Indo-Pacific region to integrate and train in precise, lethal and overwhelming scenarios that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the joint and combined force.
With the involvement of U.S. Space Command and U.S. Transportation Command, VS26 is expanding the multidomain, cross-combatant command collaboration required for any large-scale exercise or operation. The exercise prepares the joint and combined force to rapidly respond to crises and contingencies across the spectrum of operations — from humanitarian assistance and disaster response to armed conflict.
"Valiant Shield demonstrates our enduring commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Navy Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet. "Exercising advanced multidomain capabilities with our allies ensures we continue to seamlessly innovate and operate together, project combat power together and prevail over any challenge — together."
The exercise assists U.S., allied and partner forces in developing regional and global power projection capabilities. Integrated training provides a full range of options to succeed in the defense of U.S. interests and those of like-minded nations around the world.
This year marks the 11th iteration of Exercise Valiant Shield, which began in 2006. It is also the second time the Japan Self-Defense Forces has been heavily integrated in the planning and execution.
Since 2024, Valiant Shield has become a multilateral joint field training exercise, further integrating allies and partners into the multidomain environment. While it started as a unilateral U.S. exercise, it has evolved to meet the demands of the security environment, incorporating new technologies and strategies.