94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command hosts PACSIM 26

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Air and missile defense professionals from the U.S., Japanese, and Australian militaries (respectively) gathered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Sept. 21-26, 2026, for the Pacific Simulation for Integrated Air and Missile Defense Modernization simulation event.

Hosted by the 94th AAMDC at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Flight Center, PACSIM provided participants with an opportunity to examine air and missile defense concepts, identify challenges and explore ways to improve integration between the three nations.

The simulation brought together leaders and subject matter experts from across the Indo-Pacific theater to examine how different sensors, command and control systems, and defensive capabilities could contribute to an integrated defense.

Using constructive simulation data provided by the Raytheon Aerospace and Defense Company and the 94th AAMDC, the U.S. and its allies worked through sandbox scenarios to improve understanding of modernized IAMD capabilities and inform future planning.

For the participants, the value of PACSIM extended beyond the simulation itself and helped the participants understand how each nation approaches air and missile defense and how those capabilities could be integrated during future contingencies.

“This year’s PACSIM event invited a trilateral audience to better understand modernized Army IAMD capabilities through the use of a simulation tool,” said Maj. Hazumu Yano, the PACSIM event facilitator assigned to the 94th AAMDC. “As the United States fields new systems, it will be important for our allies in the Pacific to know how we intend to employ these capabilities."

Integrated Air and Missile Defense planners are an integral part of the PACOM mission set. These professionals coordinate defense architecture across multiple domains with the objective of protecting themselves as well as their allies from a wide range of aerial and missile threats.

A major focus of the simulation was to consider how modernized capabilities, combined with integration and data sharing with allies, could change defense designs in the future.

Earlier detection can provide commanders and air defenders additional time to assess a threat and determine which sensor and defensive capability is best suited to respond. The simulation also examined how an integrated network of sensors and effectors could improve the defense of allied critical assets.

“It is the architecture. It’s how we fight,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Terry Wood, the 94th AAMDC special plans officer. “It allows us to create a rush network that allows systems to talk between themselves.”

While technology remains an important part of integrated air and missile defense, event coordinators also emphasized the importance of relationships and shared understanding.

Working through potential challenges in a simulated environment allows military professionals to identify differences in procedures, planning and communication before those differences must be addressed during an actual operation.

For leaders and planners, PACSIM provided an opportunity to examine what future multilateral defense designs may look like.

Brig. Gen. William Parker, the 94th AAMDC commanding general, addressed participants during PACSIM and highlighted the importance of continuing to advance air and missile defense capabilities while preparing Soldiers to employ them.

“At the end of the day, we may fight with technology, but people win the fight,” said Parker. “What we choose to do with that technology will determine what that outcome looks like.”

PACSIM 2026 demonstrated the importance of integration and data sharing in forming an effective regional IAMD architecture.

By bringing U.S., Japanese and Australian military professionals together to examine air and missile defense challenges, the event provided participants with an opportunity to strengthen relationships, exchange knowledge and identify ways to improve collective defense.