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Military personnel from Australia, Japan, India and the United States worked together within the facility to plan, brief, and build relationships needed to enhance interoperability and interchangeability among the participating navies. Before the sea phase of Malabar 2025 commenced, watch standers, operations planners, ship captains, and flight crews from the four nations worked side by side, leveraging the facility’s resources, designed to enable continuous rehearsal, experimentation and mission planning across all domains. The facility also served the hub for Malabar 2025’s Guam-based exercise control group. “We can manage real-time changes in the schedule of events, flex tactical muscles, and introduce changes in real time,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Sharat Nemani assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15. “Having liaisons from different countries here allows us to coordinate and implement changes securely and efficiently." The progression and development of the facility redefines the landscape of joint and coalition training, enabling advanced mission rehearsal and planning for multinational forces in the Indo-Pacific region. The facility’s operational readiness marks a significant milestone in PMTEC’s mission to implement an all-domain warfare environment across the Indo-Pacific region to support integrated deterrence and joint and partner warfighting dominance. Since hosting a November 2023 site visit for Valiant Shield 24 planning, PMTEC Forward Guam has supported dozens of planning conferences, meetings and exercise executions. During Pacific Vangaurd 25, PMTEC Forward Guam was both home to the exercise and DESRON 15’s Continuity of Operations. Imminent plans for PMTEC Forward Guam include Mission Partner Environment and training network installations to enable hosting Valiant Shield 26 and future joint, coalition partner exercises and experiments. About PMTEC: Established in 2022, the Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability is a transformative enterprise funded and resourced by the United States Indo-Pacific Command to enhance joint, combined, and coalition warfighting readiness and lethality in the Indo-Pacific. PMTEC is a key component of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, reinforcing the U.S. commitment to homeland defense and a free and open Indo-Pacific. PMTEC’s integration of advanced training technologies and its alignment with strategic priorities make it a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to maintain regional stability and counter adversarial aggression.
Stakeholders from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, joint commands, and supporting organizations came together align infrastructure, virtual training capabilities, and emerging technologies across Japan and Guam. The collaboration underscored the U.S. Department of War’s commitment to enhancing joint and coalition warfighter readiness through advanced Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) operations and infrastructure modernization.
Participants included:
Dr. Andre J. Stridiron III, PMTEC Program Manager, opened the synchronization emphasizing unity of effort, strategic foresight, and the urgency of integrated training environments. Facilitators from CNAP and 35 FW led breakout sessions focused on LVC infrastructure, Fenix simulator deployment, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) integration, and bilateral exercise planning.
Key outcomes included:
The final wrap-up session consolidated priorities around Iwakuni’s exercise control facility, Misawa’s virtual training buildout, and USFJ’s role as the conduit for Japanese government coordination. Stakeholders committed to monthly coordination and near-term execution in exercises such as Keen Sword, Cope North, and Valiant Shield.
“It was genuinely motivating to be part of an action-driven team of key stakeholders dedicated to accelerate a tangible plan for bringing next generation LVC capabilities and opportunities to the warfighter to ensure tactical readiness at the highest level,” said Dr. Sandro Scielzo, CAE Inc. Human Systems Technical Authority and Learning Science Fellow.
Okinawa Site Visits: Validating PMTEC Investments
Following the synchronization, PMTEC leadership conducted site visits across Okinawa from October 29–31 to assess infrastructure investments and operational readiness managed by 18th Operations Support Squadron at Kadena Air Base, III Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Courtney and Camp Hansen and Marine Corps Installations Pacific at Ie Shima Auxiliary Airfield.
The visits underscored PMTEC’s regional impact and informed planning for future LVC deployments, simulator installations, and bilateral coordination with Japanese authorities.
The PMTEC site visit engaged stakeholders and emphasized the importance of sustaining investments through the Program Objective Memorandum (POM) process and maintaining synchronized efforts to meet operational needs at best speed.
“The PMTEC investments are a testament to our commitment to joint and coalition warfighter readiness,” said Stridiron. “These advancements will enable agile operations and ensure our forces are prepared to meet emerging challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Maj. Gen. Brian Wolford, Marine Corps Installations Pacific Commanding General, expressed gratitude for the PMTEC investments, highlighting their role in modernizing infrastructure and enhancing training capabilities.
Alignment to U.S. Strategic Priorities
The stakeholder synchronization directly supported the 2025 Interim National Security Strategy, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s priorities, and Admiral Samuel Paparo’s strategic vision as Commander of USINDOPACOM. This vision emphasizes integrated deterrence through joint force readiness, multi-domain operations, campaigning, and resilience via distributed training and infrastructure modernization. It also focuses on countering Chinese aggression and maintaining stability in the Western Pacific through advanced capabilities, coalition integration, and persistent presence.
About PMTEC: Established in 2022, the Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability is a transformative enterprise funded and resourced by the United States Indo-Pacific Command to enhance joint, combined, and coalition warfighting readiness and lethality in the Indo-Pacific. PMTEC is a key component of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, reinforcing the U.S. commitment to homeland defense and a free and open Indo-Pacific. PMTEC’s integration of advanced training technologies and its alignment with strategic priorities make it a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to maintain regional stability and counter adversarial aggression.