US and Japanese forces hold Pacific Atlas 26-1 exercise

YOKOSUKA, Japan — Maritime forces from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Japan Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard completed Pacific Atlas 26-1 off the coast of Japan from June 15 to 19, marking the first event in a new logistics-focused exercise series intended to validate communications, logistics procedures and sustainment concepts that underpin strategic deterrence and operational flexibility in the Indo-Pacific.

“The successful completion of this iteration of Pacific Atlas reinforces our collective capability to sustain distributed maritime operations,” said USCG Capt. Brian Whisler, commanding officer of Legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757). “Executing complex logistics maneuvers like vertical replenishment (VERTREP) with JMSDF demonstrates the high level of bilateral interoperability we have achieved with our Japanese counterparts.”

During the maritime phase, the Japan Coast Guard Shunko-class patrol vessel Yumihari (PLH 44) and Midgett executed a vertical replenishment at sea, transferring materials by aircraft to demonstrate agile sustainment. Afterward, subject matter experts from all three services met ashore in Japan to review logistics data and share best practices, aiming to further strengthen the operational skills needed for long-term regional stability.

Participating assets included one anti-submarine patrol helicopter from JMSDF Fleet Air Squadron 21, along with Yumihari and Midgett. For the exercise, Midgett operated under the tactical command of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15 to train interoperability and demonstrate coordination between U.S. and partner forces.

Bilateral operations such as Pacific Atlas are intended to enhance and showcase combined readiness, and the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard regularly operate alongside allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to demonstrate a shared commitment to a free and open region. Pacific Atlas is structured as a series of demonstrations of allied logistics interoperability, signaling the collective ability to sustain distributed maritime operations in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.