Multinational forces conduct sinking exercise at Valiant Shield 2026

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Joint forces under U.S. Pacific Command, working alongside allied and partner militaries, conducted a live-fire sinking exercise during Valiant Shield 2026, engaging the decommissioned Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Juneau (LPD 10) more than 200 nautical miles off the Mariana Islands Range Complex.

The event combined air, surface, and subsurface platforms in coordinated strikes, refining crews’ weapons employment and target engagement in conditions that go beyond what simulators can replicate.

Officials emphasized strict adherence to federal environmental regulations and international standards. Before the exercise, the target ship was extensively prepared, with hazardous materials—including PCBs, petroleum residues, and other pollutants—removed in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The designated area was surveyed to protect marine life, other vessels, and personnel, meeting requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and other statutes.

“This SINKEX provided an outstanding opportunity for our joint team to integrate capabilities across domains, honing the lethal precision and coordination essential for high-end maritime operations in the Pacific theater,” said Rear Adm. Eric Anduze, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70.

Valiant Shield is a multinational, biennial field training exercise focused on integrating interoperability training across multiple domains. It emphasizes realistic detection, tracking, and engagement of threats in the sea, air, land, space, and cyberspace arenas to improve combined and joint force readiness.