The U.S. and Japan will hold two exercises in Japan in late June, Resolute Dragon 26 and the Japan segment of Valiant Shield 2026, according to releases by the Japanese military on Friday.
Valiant Shield see the deployment of the containerized Typhon missile system in Japan and in contrast to last year’s deployment, where the system was flown out of Japan, it will be stored in Japan on a U.S. military base following completion of its deployment.
The field training exercise Resolute Dragon 26 will run from Jun. 20-30 with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a JGSDF release. JGSDF bases and training areas in Oita, Saga, and Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures on the main island of Kyushu along with Tokuno Island and Amami Oshima Island which are part of Kagoshima Prefecture will host the drills along with JGSDF bases on Okinawa, Miyako Island, Ishigaki Island and Yonaguni Island along with Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Naha Air Base. U.S. Marine Corps bases and training areas on Okinawa will also hosts the drills.
JGSDF units in the exercise will primarily be drawn from the JGSDF Western Army, which is responsible for the southwest region and also leading the drills with other JGSDF units from the Northern, Central and Eastern Armies and JGSDF support and training commands also participating. The Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) Maritime Transport Group and the JASDF Air Support Command round out the Japanese participation.
U.S. participation will be led by III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) which will deploy the units under its command for the exercise, including the 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), 1st Marine Air Wing (MAW), 12th Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) along with other units under U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC), according to the release, which also stated that the U.S. Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) 18th Wing will take part in Resolute Dragon 26.
Also on Friday, the Japan Joint Staff Office (JSO) issued a release stating that the JSDF will participate in Valiant Shield 2026 from Jun. 22 – Jul. 1. Valiant Shield is a biennial field training exercise conducted by the U.S. Armed Forces in the Western Pacific. Since 2024, it has been conducted as a multilateral exercise.
“Through participation in this exercise, the JSDF will enhance its tactical capabilities, strengthen coordination with allies and like-minded countries, and further reinforce deterrence and response capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, hereby contributing to the defense of Japan and the peace and stability of the region,” reads the release.
In Japan, Valiant Shield will take place in various Japanese and U.S. military bases and facilities in Japan, along with Ishinomaki City on the main island of Honshu and Amami City and Tatsugo Town on Amami Oshima Island and the waters and airspace of Japan according to the release.
Outside of Japan, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam, and the surrounding airspace and waters, Guam will host the drills. The JSO and JSDF Joint Operations Command (JJOC) will lead Japanese participation in the exercise headed by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), “Multiple like-minded countries are expected to participate in selected training events.”, stated the release.
Valiant Shield is usually headlined by a Carrier Strike Group participating in the Guam portion of the exercise along with a Sinking Exercise (SINKEX). The Navy has not released any information as of publication as to which ships will be sunk at Valiant Shield and the Rim of the Pacific 2026 (RIMPAC2026) exercise in Hawaii held from Jun. 24- Jul. 31 though the Navy Shipbuilding Plan in May lists ten ships that will be used as targets for a SINKEX.
Further information was release by the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) regional defense bureaus and civil authorities on Resolute Dragon 26 and Valiant Shield. Military exercises and deployments around Japan, particularly near populated areas are a sensitive issue and the MOD has a number of regional defense bureaus to liaise with city and prefectural governments and also notify them of upcoming military activities in their vicinity, the bureaus also on occasions post notifications and explanations on their website while in turn some of the city and prefectural governments also make public the information provided to them.
The Okinawa Defense Bureau posted a document detailing activities under the exercise to be carried out in Okinawa Prefecture, mentioning that establishment and operation of command and coordination centers, anti-ship warfare, intelligence gathering, counter-landing, supply, transportation, cargo handling and medical services training along with joint live firings and joint flights will be carried out on Kyushu. Okinawa Prefecture will only host command and coordination centers along with disaster relief and logistical support drills.
Joint U.S. – Japan command and coordination centers will be established at Camp Foster and Camp Kinser on Okinawa, with the latter being for logistical command and coordination. Small scale disaster relief exercises will be carried out on Miyako Island, Ishigaki Island and Yonaguni Island. A total of 70 personnel from both sides together with a JGSDF V-22 Ospery, a JSGSDF CH-47D Chinook helicopter, a JASDF C-130 Hercules and a Marine Corps CH-53 Sea Dragon helicopter will carry out the drill on Miyako Island. Ishigaki Island will see a disaster relief drill with 50 personnel from both sides along with a JGSDF V-22 Osprey, a JGSDF CH-47D, a U.S Navy Landing Craft Utility (LCU), a Marine Corps CH-53 and a U.S. C-130. 50 personnel from both sides together with a JGSDF CH-47, a JASDF C-130 and a Marine Corps CH-53 will carry out the disaster relief drill on Yonaguni Island. Notably for logistic drills, a Marine Corps Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) will be loaded with supplies at Naha Port, Okinawa for a supply exercise held in Kyushu.
The Kanoya City Council meanwhile released information provided by the MOD that the Typhon Missile System and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) will be deployed at Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) Kanoya Air Base for participation in Valiant Shield and Orient Shield in September. Both systems will be withdrawn from Kanoya in mid-October for storage in U.S. bases in Japan.
The MOD notification also stated that the Typhon and HIMARS will participate in the Joint Integrated Anti-Ship Warfare training carried out in the waters around Kanoya and Amami Oshima Island and stressed that no live firing is scheduled to be conducted by either system while deployed at Kanoya. The U.S. recently fired the Typhon during Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines
This marks the second time Typhon has been temporarily deployed to Japan, last year in September, the system was temporarily deployed to Marine Corps Station (MCAS) Iwakuni though on that occasion the system was flown out of Japan following its deployment and the U.S. at that time told Japan no plans existed for a permanent deployment. The MOD in its notice to the Kanoya City Council did not indicate as to whether the post-deployment storage in Japan was temporary or permanent.
