On June 7th, the United States and Japan began the Valiant Shield exercise in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Palu. The training will also take place at the Mariana Island Range Complex, located on Guam. The exercise will conclude on June 18th.
The exercise is described as “a multinational, biennial field training exercise focused on integrating interoperability in a multi-domain environment. The exercise builds real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces by detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, in space, on land, and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas,” according to a U.S. Pacific Fleet statement.
Various units from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, and Transportation Command, as well as from the Japanese Air and Maritime Self-Defense Forces will participate in the exercise. Japan announced it will join the exercise for the first time, and part of the exercise will occur in the country in late May.
