Simultaneous Military Exercises Signal Shift in US Indo-Pacific Strategy

When Japan quietly deployed members of its elite airborne brigade for parachute drills in the Philippines’ northernmost province earlier this month, the exercise was not vigorously publicised by officials on either side.

The drills on Batan Island, in the Batanes province, formed part of Kamandag – a countrywide mission jointly hosted by Philippine and US marines that ran until Wednesday. Involving some 2,000 troops, the exercise was designed to improve readiness, interoperability and intelligence-sharing.

But that quiet Batanes drop may signal a louder trend if considered alongside four other military exercises – most of them American-led – unfolding almost simultaneously across Asia that analysts say reflect a new phase in US deterrence and its “first island chain” defence policy.

Tokyo and Washington are also conducting Resolute Dragon 2026 in Kyushu and Okinawa until Tuesday, involving 9,000 troops focused on defending Japan’s southwestern islands.

Further east, about 10,000 personnel are taking part in Valiant Shield 2026 until Wednesday across Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and surrounding waters, marking the first exercise deployment of the US military’s Typhon mid-range missile system.

In Hawaii, more than 25,000 personnel from 31 nations are joining the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise, running until July 31, which aims to strengthen maritime cooperation and preserve a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.