U.S., Partner Nations Complete Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise

Exercise Sea Dragon 2026 successfully concluded at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, March 28, marking the completion of 20 days of intensive multinational antisubmarine warfare training. 

Hosted by Commander, Task Force 72, two Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft assigned to Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadrons 4 and 45 joined a multilateral force of P-8A aircraft from the Indian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

This year’s exercise continues to enhance the interoperability of shared maritime domain awareness developed during previous iterations. Sea Dragon 2026 improved on participating nations’ ability to conduct multinational antisubmarine warfare operations inside a complex and dynamic exercise environment. 

“What we do in Sea Dragon builds more than skill — it establishes [an antisubmarine warfare] team across nations. The shared experience empowers us to fight together more effectively,” said Navy Lt. Paolo Aguilar, assigned to Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 4. 

Exercises like Sea Dragon highlight the strength of U.S. partnerships and alliances, said Navy Lt. Caitlin Tucker, Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 45 pilot.  

“They show that together we’re stronger, more capable and ready to deter any aggressor in the Indo-Pacific,” Tucker added. 

Sea Dragon 2026 featured a structured training format for tracking drills that included a mobile antisubmarine warfare training target, referred to as the MK-30. The exercise also featured a Navy antisubmarine warfare exercise, in which participants hunted for an active Navy submarine in the area.  

This year, forces operated in the vicinity of Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, to employ recoverable exercise torpedoes and demonstrate the expansion of capabilities trained among the five nations. 

As with previous years, the exercise included a competitive component in which each nation’s performance was assessed and graded to earn the Dragon Belt award, testing each nation’s antisubmarine warfare tactics and response effectiveness in a realistic scenario. 

Japan’s Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 3 won the Dragon Belt, held last year by the Royal Australian Air Force. 

Exercises like Sea Dragon, held annually since 2019, demonstrate the Navy’s commitment to regional security and strengthening maritime partnerships with allied and partner nations.