A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine sank the decommissioned U. S.
Navy ship USS Juneau with a torpedo strike during the ongoing Valiant Shield exercise.
The sinking took place in the Mariana Islands Range Complex, more than 200 nautical miles off the coast.
Valiant Shield 2026 runs from June 22 to July 1 and involves joint forces from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
The biennial field training integrates capabilities across sea, air, space, land, and cyberspace domains.
Rear Adm.
Eric Anduze, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70, said the sinking exercise provided an opportunity to integrate capabilities and hone precision and coordination for high-end maritime operations in the Pacific.
The former USS Juneau, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock ship, entered service in 1969 and served in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm before decommissioning in 2008.
Prior to the live-fire event, the vessel underwent environmental cleaning to remove hazardous substances such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and petroleum.
Missile Defense and Aviation Tests
Valiant Shield 2026 also served as a testing ground for regional missile defense infrastructure and collaborative aviation technologies.
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works deployed automated command-and-control equipment to integrate the U. S.
Marine Corps' Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) and the U. S.
Army's Patriot missile system into a unified 360-degree shield for the Guam Defense System.
Lt. Gen.
Roger Turner, III MEF Commanding General, said the modernization efforts and forward posture send a clear message to the region, enhancing defensive capabilities to stand with allies and partners.
Pacific Air Forces tested human-machine teaming by flying Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat alongside manned fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s, and F/A-18Es.
The semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), developed with the Royal Australian Air Force, participated in defensive and offensive counter-air missions out of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Maj.
Daniel Pesich, Experimental Operations Unit collaborative combat aircraft detachment officer in charge, said the future of airpower is a partnership between warfighters and technology, increasing power projection and building a more resilient, capable, and lethal joint force.
Anti-missile system tests under the Guam Defense System Joint Project Office are scheduled to continue through August.
A joint live-fire exercise named Tenacious Archer 2026 is slated to begin in Palau on July 24.
