Pacific Dragon 2024 concludes, advances multinational missile defense cooperation

Kauai, Hawaii--In its largest execution to date, Pacific Dragon 2024 (PD24) concluded on Aug. 13, wrapping up the biennial multinational integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise.

Designed to improve tactical and technical coordination and interoperability, this seventh iteration of Pacific Dragon took place off the coast of Kauai and at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaii.

Participating forces conducted live-fire and simulated ballistic missile intercepts and tracking events with the goal of exercising, refining and improving their IAMD capability in a coalition environment.

This year featured the first live intercept of the SM-3 Blk IA as a low-cost, high-reward target, the first simulated intercept of the newly upgraded Integrated Air and Missile-Target (IAMD-T), a highly-complex tri-lateral Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) information exchange, and multi-lateral data link information exchange.

Hosted by U.S. Third Fleet, PD24 included forces from Royal Australian Navy, Italian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal Danish Navy, U.S Missile Defense Agency, and U.S Navy.

PD24 evaluates and improves coalition interoperability in an IAMD environment by advancing and enhancing BMD. Participating forces use PD24 to improve their tactical and technical coordination, while focusing on detection, tracking and reporting of ballistic targets and intercepts.

For MDA, PD24 represents an opportunity to support the warfighter in executing and synchronizing five multifaceted events with eight participating countries across a two week span.

"Pacific Dragon allows us to test our limits, providing all participants a unique opportunity to improve how we fight together by coordinating real-time information sharing and demonstrating our combined missile defense capabilities," said MDA Director Lieutenant General Heath Collins. "International Exercises like Pacific Dragon are paramount in strengthening our alliances and increasing our lethality. I couldn't be more proud of everyone who participated, planned and executed this event."

MDA has participated in Pacific Dragon since its inception, using the exercise to advance development of BMD regional defenses and the Maritime Theater Missile Defense capability with coalition partners.

Surface assets that participated in PD24 included HMAS Sydney (DDG 42), HNLMS Tromp (F803), JS Haguro (DDG 180), ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG 992), ITS Montecuccoli (P432), Arleigh Burke class destroyers USS Carl M Levin (DDG 120) and USS Kidd (DDG 100. Several air assets also participated including the E-7A, MQ-9, and P-8.

For media queries, please reach out to LT Mohammad Issa, US Navy Third Fleet at 619-767-4387 or Heather Cavaliere, Missile Defense Agency at 256-503-7802.

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