The cooperative exercise united service members from five Indo-Pacific nations, enhancing their skills in maritime operations, anti-submarine warfare, air warfare, and advanced maneuvering scenarios to improve overall interoperability between the forces. This year’s Pacific Vanguard featured greater participation from partner and allied nations and joint forces.

“Pacific Vanguard provides a vital opportunity for the USS Higgins and her crew to hone our warfighting skills alongside our allies,” said Capt. Dave Huljack, commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15. “We’re committed to strengthening interoperability, interchangeability, and building mutual trust, which ensures that together, we can respond effectively to any challenge in support of a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”



Shore-based personnel from the participating nations were also able to practice integration across multiple warfare domains, demonstrating the capacity to cooperate across multiple mission areas in support of warfighting units operating in the theater.

The participants also conducted a missile exercise, in which the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) and the JMSDF Takanami-class destroyer JS Suzunami (DD 114) engaged two simulated targets in an integrated air and missile defense scenario.

Pacific Vanguard 25 participating assets included the RAAF’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft; JMSDF’s Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182), Mashū-class replenishment ship JS Ōmi (AOE 426), and Takanami-class destroyer JS Suzunami (DD 114); ROK Navy’s Chungmugong Sun-Sin-class destroyer ROKS Wang Geon (DDH 978); and the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76), Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T AKE 4) and P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

The U.S. military and its allies and partners continually operate in designated land, air, and sea areas of the Mariana Islands to safely train service members in equipment use, tactics, joint operations, and humanitarian aid missions.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.