HMAS Choules arrives in Indonesia for Pacific Partnership 2026

Pacific Partnership 2026 mission personnel arrived in Sibolga, Indonesia, aboard the Royal Australian Navy Bay-class landing ship dock HMAS Choules (LSD 100) on July 20, marking the second stop of the U.S. Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific.

It is the seventh time the mission has visited Indonesia since 2006 and includes participation from Australia, Canada, Germany, and Singapore. Activities in Sibolga and the surrounding Central Tapanuli Regency are built around preplanned engagements to strengthen multilateral cooperation and improve the region’s ability to respond quickly to disaster emergencies.

“Sibolga’s recent history tells a story of resilience in the face of natural disasters and reminds us that disaster preparedness is a collective endeavor to build resiliency today for what could arise tomorrow,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Reyes, mission commander of PP26. “As the Indonesia mission stop prepares to commence, we celebrate the resiliency of this community and the opportunity to collaborate and exchange expertise for mutual learning.”

The stop runs through Aug. 1 and features mission, partner country, and Indonesian personnel working side-by-side across four lines of effort: engineering, medical, disaster management, and host nation outreach. Planned engagements include new classroom construction and renovations at two schoolhouses; a hands-on practical, tactical workshop to develop and refine skills for responding to natural disasters; disaster planning at two hospitals; and medical subject-matter exchanges. The Pacific Partnership band is also scheduled to perform at community outreach events.

An opening ceremony on July 21 brought together local and military leaders, including Sibolga Mayor Akhmad Syukri Nazri Penarik; Central Tapanuli Regent Masinton Pasaribu; Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) Rear Adm. Sarimpunan Tanjung, commander of Naval Sub-regional Command Two, Indonesia Fleet Command; TNI Brig. Gen. Hadi Juanda, chief of TNI Surgeon General Office, TNI headquarters; TNI First Admiral Tjahja Nurrobi, deputy chief of TNI Surgeon General, TNI headquarters; Rear Adm. David Buzzetti, vice chief of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; and other senior U.S. and Indonesian officials.

“Pacific Partnership demonstrates the enduring commitment of the United States and Indonesia to strengthening regional resilience through practical cooperation,” said U.S. Embassy in Jakarta Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, Joy M. Sakurai. “Together with our Indonesian and multinational partners, we are building relationships and capabilities that improve preparedness, save lives, and promote a more secure Indo-Pacific.”

Now in its 22nd iteration, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the region. The series emphasizes collaboration with host and partner nations to enhance interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability, and foster enduring relationships across the Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely operates with allies and partners in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Pacific Fleet provides combat-ready naval forces to defend the homeland and U.S. interests, deter aggression, and strengthen alliances and partnerships to ensure a secure and prosperous region.