The US and allied nations have completed conducting Pacific Dragon 26 (PD26), a US Navy-executed, biennial, multilateral ballistic missile defence (BMD) and tactical data link information-sharing exercise.
PD26 was conducted with US allied and partner forces and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in waters around the Hawaiian Islands from August 6 to 13, 2026.
The US Navy said PD26 improved interoperability among allied and partner maritime forces through shared tactical data links and coordinated BMD operations, refining the tactics and procedures required for regional integrated air and missile defence (IAMD).
PD26 featured participation from the Maritime Theatre Missile Defense Forum and included forces from Australia, Chile, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the United States.
The exercise consisted of in-port and underway phases, with in-port events focused on interoperability training, Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center training, and preparation for underway operations.
This year’s exercise expanded multinational participation with the addition of Chile and Spain, introducing new operational elements, including a multi-mission event integrating BMD and IAMD scenarios.
Participating assets included the Royal Australian Navy Hobart-class guided-missile destroyer HMAS Sydney and an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft operated by the Royal Australian Air Force; the Chilean Navy Duke-class frigate Almirante Cochrane; the Italian Navy Thaon di Revel-class patrol ship Giovanni delle Bande Nere; the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kongo-class destroyer JS Kongo; the Republic of Korea Navy Sejong the Great-class destroyer ROKS Jeongjo the Great; Spanish Navy Álvaro de Bazan-class frigate Álvaro de Bazán; and the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas.
US air assets include Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters, General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, and Kratos BQM 177A sub-sonic aerial target aircraft.
Jack H. Lucas, the US Navy’s first flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, is equipped with Baseline 10 and the AN/SPY-6 radar system, representing the US Navy’s continued advancement of IAMD capabilities.