Category: US Indo Pacific Command

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

CAMP COURTNEY, OKINAWA, Japan  –  

III Marine Expeditionary Force received a shipment of Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs) at Naha Military Port on June 29, 2024. The ACV is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier, designed to fully upgrade the Marine Corps’ fleet of Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV).

“III Marine Expeditionary Force is a modern, ready force,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Roger B. Turner, III MEF commanding general. “Upgrading our fleet with amphibious combat vehicles capable of supporting sea denial and maritime operations will further bolster our ability to support deterrence efforts and respond to contingencies in the Indo-Pacific.”

The ACVs will be transported to Camp Schwab over the next several days. The ACV’s ability to use the ocean and waterways to carry Marines and equipment make it well-suited for a variety of operating environments. The arrival of the ACV realizes a long-projected update to the current armed ship-to-shore connection and ground combat capabilities of the AAV. III MEF will continue to manage the ACV fielding responsibly and safely as Marines train and evolve to respond to potential crises.

Official imagery from this event will be published at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/3MD.

​For more information on this event, please contact the 3D Marine Division Communication Strategy and Operations at 3div_commstrat@usmc.mil.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

LUZON, Philippines  –  

U.S. Marines with 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, concluded Marine Aviation Support Activity 24, the third of three Philippine-led bilateral exercises with 3rd MLR participation spanning the past three months, on Luzon, Philippines, June 21, 2024. The U.S. Marines’ return to their home station on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, marks the end of 3rd MLR’s longest rotational deployment of forces to the Philippines since the unit’s redesignation in 2022.

The U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific summer exercise series included Exercise Balikatan 24, Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum, and MASA 24, and consisted of bilateral exchanges and training opportunities between U.S. and Philippine Marines aimed at bolstering the PMC’s Coastal Defense strategy while supporting the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization efforts.

BK24, an annual bilateral exercise designed to strengthen capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences, is internationally recognized for its emphasis on “shoulder-to-shoulder” training between all branches of the U.S. and Philippine militaries. The 39th iteration of BK was followed by the first iteration of ACDC 24, a series of USMC and PMC bilateral training and subject matter expert exchanges across the seven warfighting functions of command-and-control, fires, force protection, information, intelligence, logistics, and maneuver. Upon the conclusion of ACDC, the Marines transitioned to MASA 24, a PMC-led exercise designed to enhance capabilities, interoperability, and coordination focusing on aviation-supported operations.

During the 75-day deployment, the Marines and Sailors with 3rd MLR and its three subordinate units – 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Littoral Logistics Battalion, and 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion – spanned out across nine disparate training areas to conduct five Combined Joint All-Domain Operations events alongside their AFP and PMC counterparts. The CJADO events included the BK24 Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation on Batan, Itbayat, and Mavulis; the BK24 Counter-landing Live Fire at the La Paz Sand Dunes; Littoral Zone Reconnaissance Cobra at IDESS Maritime Center, Camp Cape Bojeador, and Naval Base Camilo Osias; the MASA 24 MKTSO on Batan; and the MASA 24 Littoral Live Fire exercise at Camp Cape Bojeador and Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui.

The collaboration between the U.S. and Philippine Marines showcased their adeptness in coordinating, planning, and executing large-scale, intricate, multi-lateral training exercises. This demonstration underscores the enhanced capability and capacity of the combined and joint forces to conduct territorial defense operations.

“Exercises are like a second language that, as you are performing the exercise, you are also sending a message to both your adversaries, your like-minded partners, and other stakeholders,” said AFP Col. Michael Logico, director of the joint and combined training center of the AFP. “It sends a message of confidence in our ability to protect as north as possible. It’s also a message of deterrence.”

The ability of the U.S. to train with the AFP in the Philippines is founded on one treaty and two agreements: the Mutual Defense Treaty, signed in 1951; the Visiting Forces Agreement, signed in 1998; and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2014. These agreements allow both nations to strengthen military, economic, and cultural ties for years to come through continued bilateral training opportunities. In April of 2023, the U.S. and Philippines announced plans to expand the EDCA to include four new sites, two of which were used to support bilateral training between 3rd MLR and their PMC counterparts with 4th Marine Brigade in the 2024 iteration of the exercise.

As 3rd MLR forces complete their retrograde from the Philippines, the U.S. Marines are already working alongside their AFP and PMC partners to plan next year’s return.

“The U.S. Marines exercise in the Philippines because our allies are in the Philippines,” said Col. John Lehane, the commanding officer of 3rd MLR. “We will continue to do so as long as we are invited back by our Philippine allies each year.”

With the Philippine-led exercises growing in scale and complexity, bilateral staff discussions of 3rd MLR bringing additional capabilities, personnel, and equipment into the country for next year’s iterations have already begun.

“The more that 3rd MLR can enhance and enable the naval, joint, and combined forces’ ability to sense and make sense of the operating environment while providing a combat-credible rapid and ready response capability, the more we can complicate an adversary’s decision-making cycle and contribute to our Philippine allies’ goal of deterrence,” said Lehane.

3rd Marine Littoral Regiment is a dedicated U.S. Marine Corps unit specializing in amphibious and littoral warfare operations. Stationed on Oahu, Hawaii, and deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, 3rd MLR is committed to promoting regional security and stability through strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with partner nations and Allies.

​For media inquiries, please contact: 1st Lt. Annie Pentaleri, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment COMMSTRAT, anne.pentaleri@usmc.mil

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

On February 19th, 1945, more than 70,000 United States Marines landed on the dark volcanic beaches of Iwo Jima. As gunfire whizzed overhead and artillery screamed through the skies, these 70,000 men pressed forward to establish control of the island to provide a staging area for air raids against Japan’s mainland.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

HONOLULU, Hawaii  –  

The opening ceremony and press conference kicked off the 29th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, today.

​Approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will train and operate in and around the Hawaiian Islands during the exercise, which runs until Aug. 1. RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.

“The Rim of the Pacific exercise has grown over the years to be the world’s largest and premier joint combined maritime training opportunity,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet and RIMPAC 2024 Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. “The exercise’s purpose is to build relationships, to enhance interoperability and proficiency and, ultimately, contribute to the peace and stability in the vitally-important Indo-Pacific region.”

The theme of RIMPAC 2024 is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.”

For the first time in RIMPAC history, a member of the Chilean Navy, Commodore Alberto Guerrero, will serve as deputy commander of the CTF. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota will serve as the vice commander. Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Kristjan Monaghan of the Royal Canadian Navy, who will command the maritime component, and Air Commodore Louise DesJardins of the Royal Australian Air Force, who will command the air component.

This year’s RIMPAC will host its largest humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise with eight countries, five ships, five landing craft, five aircraft, multiple land forces, and over 2,500 total participants including the statewide Hawaii Healthcare Emergency Management exercise.

During RIMPAC, participating forces integrate and exercise a wide range of capabilities, from disaster relief to maritime security operations, and from sea control to complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic preparation and training syllabus includes amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine, and air defense exercises, as well as military medicine, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations.

With inclusivity at its core, RIMPAC fosters multinational cooperation and trust, leverages interoperability, and achieves respective national objectives to strengthen integrated, prepared, coalition partners.

​For more RIMPAC 2024 information and updates, visit https://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac/. Any additional questions or queries should be sent to rimpac.media@gmail.com.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

Papua New Guinea  –  

Papua New Guinea Defense Force, collaborating with Papua New Guinea National Disaster Centre (NDC) and the United States Army, hosted a second annual Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange (DREE) at The Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby from June 18th through 21st, 2024.

The goal of the two countries was to develop shared understanding on disaster response, facilitate cooperation between the two nations, and provide relevant training in lecture-based and simulated tabletop exercise walk-throughs of real-world potential disaster scenarios over the course of four days. As part of opening comments, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Krieck of the United States Army’s 9th Mission Support Command spoke to the importance of the exercise, noting “Disasters are not often able to be prevented, but they are always able to be mitigated through proper planning, coordination, and understanding between those responding and those affected, whether human or natural [disasters].”

The training, facilitated by the Institute for Security Governance (ISG) included presenters and speakers from the United Nations, Papua New Guinea National Disaster Centre, the United States Agency for International Development, the United States’ Center for Excellence – Disaster Management, the United States’ state-level Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, and the Australian Civil-Military Center.

Attending the training were over 22 participants, to include several from Papua New Guinea Defense Force, as well as from Papua New Guinea Fire Service, the National Disaster Centre – Youths, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Provincial and Local Government Affairs, Dept. of Mineral Policy and Geohazards, and Caritas – PNG. The attendees learned about, discussed, and applied knowledge gained on topics including humanitarian assistance, coordination with international and civil society organizations, “whole of community” approaches to disaster response, migrants in crisis, and disaster recovery, culminating in full-day simulated practice of skills responding to earthquakes, power outages, and humanitarian response at both the national and provincial level.

As part of the final day, U.S. Army Major Ryan McCauley, U.S. Embassy Office of Defense Cooperation, expressed support for Papua New Guinea on behalf of the United States in regard to the May 24th landslide in Mulitaka, Enga Province, and reflected upon the training as well as the importance of cooperation between the nations and agencies represented, noting that, “Through shared understanding, our agencies and the professionals who work in them are better-prepared to plan as well as respond to disasters. The real-world applications of this training are critical for every organization involved, and will help save lives and rebuild communities, through better preparation before, as well as deliberate action after, when disasters occur.”

​Concluding the ceremony, Papua New Guinea Defense Force Lieutenant Colonel Silas Auro, Staff Officer 1, Force Preparation, declared to the participants, “Disasters affect human beings, they affect our families. Whatever we’ve gained this week is of importance to us, to include gaining information, developing the situation, and knowing who to call.” Lieutenant Colonel Auro concluded, “We would like to get our friends from other parts of the Pacific to attend so we are in the same lines of thought on disaster. If we need to help, we need to help. If we need the help, we can count on them.”

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

CHEONGJU AIR BASE, Republic of Korea  –  

Members of the Wolf Pack traveled to Cheongju Air Base, Republic of Korea, to participate in Buddy Squadron 24-4 on June 24, 2024.

Airmen assigned to the the 80th Fighter Squadron and 80th Fighter Generation Squadron participated in the five-day exercise meant to increase interoperability while employing airpower jointly with Republic of Korea Air Force mission partners.

“Buddy Squadron events are put on between the ROKAF and 7th Air Force to integrate U.S. and ROKAF flying units,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Calvin Boerwinkle, 80th FS Buddy Squadron 24-4 project officer. “For this one, we deployed from Kunsan to Cheongju for a week of flying integration with the 152nd Fighter Squadron.”

These training events reinforce the 8th Fighter Wing’s ability to deliver mission capable F-16 Fighting Falcons anywhere on the Korean peninsula.

ROKAF Maj. Cha, Seungmin, 152nd FS F-35 pilot, whose first assignment as a pilot was with the 111th FS TIGERS at Kunsan AB, was excited to reintegrate with the 80th FS after spending a time doing so early in his career.

“I’m very happy to be with the JUVATS again and I feel like I’m home.”

He also reiterated the importance of training exercises like Buddy Squadron and how it helps optimize the tactics that both nations can employ on the battlefield.

“The main goal of Buddy Squadron is to integrate our warfighting capability into a ROK-US combined air power,” said Cha. “We are also focusing on how to counter non-military (grey-zone) threats and how to deliver our air power to other warfighting domains.”

The tactics, techniques and procedures employed by coalition forces were tested over two mission sets: offensive counter air and XINT missions.

“The XINT mission set involves working with the ROKAF F-35s to locate, target and kill high priority ground assets that are assigned by higher headquarters,” said Boerwinkle. “The second and third mission sets are offensive counter-air, which is fighting our way into a contested battle space by eliminating any adversary air threats first, and finally, going in to drop bombs on any high priority targets for that mission.”

Buddy Squadron is regularly held at different bases around the Korean peninsula to give pilots from both countries a chance to learn with and from each other while strengthening shared tactics, techniques and procedures.

“I think this is my first time integrating with the ROKAF flying units directly and its been a great experience so far getting to know them on a personnel level and understanding where they’re coming from,” said Boerwinkle. “I think it’s valuable to be here on their base to see how they do their operations, learn from their ops and hopefully teach them a thing or two about how we do ops in the USAF.”

​The Buddy Squadron training exercises highlight the 8th FW’s commitment to ensuring that when called upon, will respond quickly and decisively to accept follow-on forces, defend the peninsula and take the fight north.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

AT SEA – Japan, the Republic of Korea, and United States began the inaugural execution of exercise Freedom Edge, a trilateral multi-domain exercise, June 27-29, 2024.

The execution of the exercise was announced at the Camp David Summit in August 2023 and at the Japan, ROK, and U.S. defense ministerial meeting, which took place in June during the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Freedom Edge expresses the will of Japan, ROK, and U.S. to promote trilateral interoperability and protect freedom for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula.

Multiple ships and aircraft from Japan, ROK, and the U.S., participated in the exercise to include: Japan’s JS ISE, JS ATAGO, and P-1; Republic of Korea’s ROKS Seoae-Ryu-Seong-ryong, ROKS Kang-Gam-Chan, P-3, Lynx, and KF-16; and the United States’ USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Halsey, USS Daniel Inouye, P-8, F/A-18, E-2D, and MH-60.

The exercise will focus on cooperative Ballistic Missile Defense, Air Defense, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Search and Rescue, Maritime Interdiction, and Defensive Cyber training.

Starting with this iteration, Japan, ROK, and U.S. will continue to expand the Freedom Edge exercise.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

SOUTH KOREA  –  

Dragon Lift 2024 is being conducted this week. This biannual medical exercise is conducted by U.S. Forces Korea, Eighth Army and Republic of Korea personnel to maintain proficiency in joint patient movement operations.

Aircrews from 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, with two HH-60 Blackhawks conducted deck qualifications off the coast on a Republic of Korea Casualty Receiving and Treatment Ship, June 25, 2024.

Eighth Army units and ROK personnel will train on transporting patients to and between ground and sea-based medical facilities this week.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea  –  

U.S. Air Force and Navy personnel completed a joint, combined exchange training iteration with various Republic of Korea military counterparts on June 25, 2024, reinforcing the enduring relationship between the two nations’ special operations forces.

During the training, an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla. conducted live-fire and dry-fire close air support and aerial interdiction training missions with U.S. and ROK ground forces.

“We have not forgotten our commitment to the Ironclad Alliance to defend our homelands—a commitment born out of the blood of our relatives more than 70 years ago,” said Brig. Gen. Derek N. Lipson, Special Operations Command Korea commander. “Since then, we’ve steadfastly maintained a deterrence posture with a credible special operations force to prevent conflict while also giving our leaders the options and knowledge that we would prevail in conflict if called upon.”

Additionally, the AC-130J and its crew participated in combined flying and weapons employment drills with the ROK Air Force, conducting the first known use of the aircraft’s Precision Strike Package to identify a training target upon which ROKAF aircraft employed live munitions. This use of AC-130J sensors to identify a target and guide munitions from a ROK aircraft demonstrates a truly integrated force posture with alignment across technical capabilities and the personnel skillsets needed to conduct such missions.

“One often overlooked advancement is our Precision Strike Package which includes upgraded electronic, optical, and infrared sensors that have enhanced target identification capabilities,” said Maj. Josh Burris, 4th Special Operations Squadron mission commander. “Simply put, if an enemy on the ground can hear us, we can see them, and we can deliver weapons faster than they have a chance to react.”

Complementing the training with the ROKAF, the AC-130J enabled routine proficiency training with U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command operators and their ROK counterparts as well as U.S. Terminal Air Control Party personnel and ROK personnel they advised. All of the training focused on how to call in close air support or aerial interdiction missions using the AC-130J’s 30mm and 105mm cannons, as well as standoff precision guided munitions. The primary ranges used were Rodriguez Live Fire Range, Pilsung Live Fire Range, and Jikdo Live Fire Range.

The joint and combined training with the AC-130J, Naval Special Warfare Command personnel, and ROK aircraft and personnel, demonstrated the ability for the ROK and U.S. to effectively conduct integrated special operations activities toward a range of possible tasks that senior leaders may require.

For imagery, please find https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/SOCKOR

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

AIRAI, Palau  –  

When United Airlines flight 192 approached Palau International Airport at 2:20 A.M. on June 12, 2024, it was cleared to land by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Kaleb Burks, an air traffic controller with Marine Air Control Squadron 1, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

The tower at Palau International Airport isn’t typically manned by air traffic control. Pilots receive meteorological information through the airport’s Aerodrome Flight Information Service and communicate their position, altitude, and intentions on a common traffic advisory frequency.

From June 7 to 18, 2024, more than 600 U.S. joint service members participated in exercise Valiant Shield 24 at Palau International Airport and other areas on the islands of Palau, increasing aviation traffic to the airport.

A MACS-1 Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team (MMT) provided Federal Aviation Administration certified tower and ground control to Palau International Airport and the immediate airspace, an impressive radius of five nautical miles radius and up to 5,500 feet above the airport. The MMT manned the air traffic control tower at Palau International Airport 24 hours a day throughout the exercise, efficiently directing military, civilian and commercial aircraft—everything from F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Boeing 757 airliners. By the conclusion of Valiant Shield 24, the MMT directed 214 aircraft.

The MMT’s mission was planned months in advance. Marines coordinated closely with the Palau Bureau of Aviation to integrate air traffic control with the airport’s services and infrastructure.

“We’re working with and alongside the Bureau of Aviation to facilitate orderly and expeditious flow of traffic into Palau International,” said Sgt. Andrey Garbuzov, the MMT assistant team leader. “At first, we spent time here not actively controlling to ensure a smooth transition.”

MMTs are mission tailored. During Valiant Shield 24, the MMT consisted of one officer and six enlisted Marines, including a navigational aids technician and a communications technician. Garbuzov brought experience to the team as a Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One trained MMT instructor.

Originally known as the Remote Area Landing Site Team, then the Light and Mobile Team, the MMT concept was developed at MAWTS-1 on September 11, 1989, to support Marine aviation in expeditionary maneuver warfare. Today, the MMT provides initial, rapid response air traffic control and command, control, and communications in support of Marine Air-Ground Task Force, joint or combined operations.

“The MMT provides the initial push, establishing the runway or landing zone,” said 2nd Lt. John Fauntleroy, the MMT team leader. “We can sustain our operations without resupply for 72 hours.”

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Beaumont, the MMT’s navigational aids technician, is responsible for establishing the tactical air navigation system, commonly referred to as TACAN. The TACAN is a navigation system which provides military aircraft the bearing and distance to the airfield or ship where the aircraft is landing.

“In bad weather, the TACAN will tell pilots how to get to the airfield so that the controllers can give them an approach,” Beaumont says.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Aidan Donagan is the MMT’s communications technician. During Valiant Shield 24, Donogan monitored multiple radios, phones and chat servers, ensuring the MMT could simultaneously communicate with aircraft, ground crews and airfield management.

The MMT’s careful watch and direction ensured a successful exercise.

“Air traffic control is the voice that controls the chaos of a busy airfield keeping everything safe and orderly,” Garbuzov said.