USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group Leads Major U.S.-Japan Naval Force in Philippine Sea.

The United States and Japan deployed a large naval and air force package in the Philippine Sea as part of Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, led by the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group and vessels of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

The operation reflects ongoing allied efforts to improve combat interoperability and deterrence amid increasing strategic competition across the Indo-Pacific. As tensions continue around the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea, the exercise also demonstrates Washington and Tokyo's intent to conduct coordinated operations in an increasingly contested regional environment.

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The biennial Valiant Shield exercise brings together advanced naval, air, and joint-force capabilities, providing an opportunity to refine command-and-control procedures, integrated operations, and allied readiness across multiple warfighting domains. (Picture source: US DoD)

The U.S. Navy released imagery showing the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group operating alongside Japanese naval vessels while U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft carried out coordinated flight operations over the formation. The biennial Valiant Shield exercise brings together advanced naval, air, and joint-force capabilities, providing an opportunity to refine command-and-control procedures, integrated operations, and allied readiness across multiple warfighting domains.

At the center of the formation is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), accompanied by the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62), the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Shoup (DDG 86) and USS Benfold (DDG 65), and the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783). The Japanese contingent includes the helicopter destroyer JS Kaga (DDH 184), the destroyer JS Fuyuzuki (DD 118), and the Taigei-class submarine JS Jingei (SS 515). Above the fleet, aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing 5 and U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters conduct coordinated flight operations, illustrating the role of air power in modern maritime force projection.

Particular attention is focused on JS Kaga, which continues to undergo modifications to operate F-35B Lightning II short take-off and vertical landing aircraft. Once fully operational in this role, the vessel will provide Japan with a fixed-wing carrier aviation capability not seen since the Second World War. This development will expand Tokyo's ability to project air power and support operations alongside U.S. carrier strike groups across the Indo-Pacific.

The exercise illustrates how U.S. Indo-Pacific Command seeks to integrate naval, air, land, space, and cyber capabilities within a single operational framework. Since its inception, Valiant Shield has become one of the most demanding exercises in the Western Pacific, enabling participating forces to rehearse large-scale combat operations, distributed maritime maneuver, and long-range strike coordination under realistic conditions. Japanese participation also reflects the continued expansion of bilateral defense cooperation and the gradual evolution of Japan's role within regional security arrangements.

The exercise also reflects the evolution of U.S. military doctrine toward distributed maritime operations. Rather than concentrating combat power around a single carrier strike group, current concepts emphasize the integration of dispersed naval, air, submarine, and land-based assets capable of generating coordinated effects across large operational areas. Valiant Shield therefore provides a practical environment to test these concepts alongside regional partners under conditions that resemble those of a high-intensity conflict.

Several systems participating in the exercise contribute advanced capabilities. The F-35A Lightning II is equipped with the AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and a sensor-fusion architecture capable of combining information from radar, electro-optical sensors, electronic-support measures, and external networks into a single tactical picture. Through secure data links such as the Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) and Link 16, the aircraft can distribute targeting information across a joint force while maintaining a reduced observable profile.

USS George Washington remains one of the largest warships in active service. Powered by two nuclear reactors, the aircraft carrier can operate for decades without refueling and can embark more than 60 aircraft depending on mission requirements. Carrier Air Wing 5 typically includes F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic-warfare aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early-warning aircraft, and MH-60R/S helicopters, providing strike, surveillance, and command-and-control capabilities.

Beneath the surface, USS Minnesota represents another key element of the force package. The Virginia-class submarine is designed for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence collection, and land-attack missions. Armed with Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, it can engage targets at long range while remaining difficult to detect. On the Japanese side, JS Jingei belongs to the modern Taigei class, which incorporates lithium-ion battery technology to improve underwater endurance and operational flexibility compared with earlier diesel-electric submarines. In a high-intensity conflict in the Western Pacific, attack submarines such as USS Minnesota would likely play an important role during the initial phases of operations by collecting intelligence, tracking naval movements, protecting allied forces, and threatening high-value targets while maintaining a high degree of stealth.

Beyond the display of military assets, Valiant Shield serves primarily as an operational testing environment designed to assess the ability of allied forces to conduct complex military campaigns in a contested setting. The exercise evaluates command structures, information flows, and decision-making processes in scenarios involving forces dispersed across thousands of kilometers. In a region where a major crisis would likely involve multiple nations and several warfighting domains simultaneously, the ability to coordinate naval, air, space, and cyber assets rapidly becomes as important as the performance of the weapon systems themselves.

The presence of American and Japanese forces of this scale in the Philippine Sea carries broader strategic implications beyond the exercise itself. As tensions persist around Taiwan, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea, Washington and Tokyo seek to demonstrate their ability to assemble and employ an integrated force capable of operating across multiple domains. For China, exercises of this kind illustrate the growing ability of regional alliance networks to act collectively during a crisis. For the United States and Japan, the objective extends beyond operational readiness to reassuring regional partners, maintaining credible deterrence, and preserving a favorable balance of power in one of the world's most strategically contested regions.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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