The largest military exercise ever held in Palau after WWII ended this week, reported Jennifer Anson, Palau’s National Security Coordinator of the recently concluded Exercise Valiant Shield 2022.
“Valiant Shield is over. Now they are packing up and shipping out over the next few weeks,” added Anson.
The U.S. military biennial exercise involving all branches of the American armed forces culminated Wednesday with the first-ever live firing of Patriot missiles in Palau. This first missile intercept test conducted in Palau was successful, reported Anson during a radio talk show yesterday.
There was no equipment malfunction and the missile successfully blew up the target, added Anson of the missile intercept test.
The Valiant Shield 2022 was reported to have involved 13,000 troops, two aircraft carriers – USS Ronald Reagan and USS Abraham Lincoln, 15 surface ships, and over 200 aircraft. The coordinated exercise took place in Guam, CNMI, and Palau.
An estimated 500 to 800 military personnel were in Palau over the course of the exercise.
After everything is shipped out, about 100 Marines will stay to take part in the Koa Moana Exercise. Koa Moana is a “multi-national, bilateral exercise designed to improve interoperability and relations”. Previous Koa Moana exercises in Palau included community and civic work such as military personal working with Marine Law Enforcement as well as civic projects such as road paving and school repairs in the outlying states.