HONOLULU, HI – In a significant step toward enhancing joint military readiness and allied interoperability, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Training and Exercises Directorate recently completed a strategic assessment of next-generation simulation and wargaming technologies. The evaluation, held earlier this year in Tokyo, brought together senior military planners from USINDOPACOM, U.S. Forces Japan, allies and partners to explore cutting-edge tools developed by industry, designed to advance combined joint defense planning and operations.
The demonstration was conducted under an existing Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with USINDOPACOM’s Joint Innovation and Experimentation team, and coordinated through USINDOPACOM Joint Training and Exercises Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability.
During the visit, military planners were introduced to a suite of interconnected systems that allow commanders to visualize and wargame complex scenarios across every operational domain—air, ground, sea, space, and cyber—a concept central to modern defense known as Joint All-Domain Operations. The system’s ability to run simulations faster than real-time can compress weeks of analysis into hours, enabling planners to develop and refine strategies with speed and accuracy. The process is further enhanced by artificial intelligence, which provides data-driven recommendations to support human decision-making.
"These types of systems can help planners understand plan development through speed-of-fight analysis and build trust across the planner-strategist-senior leader hierarchy," said U.S. Air Force Col. Craig Rumble, USINDOPACOM Warfighting Exercises Branch Chief,. "The value for group planning and senior-level review cannot be overstated."
Such technology offers immediate applications for critical missions, including refining combined tactics for collaborative defense and enhancing interoperability for major joint exercises. The demonstration underscored PMTEC’s strategic commitment to engage with industry to build a resilient defense ecosystem and maintain a long-term strategic advantage, directly supporting the 2026 National Defense Strategy’s call for modernization and the 2025 National Security Strategy’s emphasis on maintaining technological overmatch against adversaries. According to PMTEC Japan Integrator Gary Brown, the capabilities reviewed in Tokyo are part of a larger global vision to create a linked network of Digital Engagement Centers. Facilities in Honolulu, Virginia, and Tokyo will form a persistent, secure virtual environment for mission rehearsal and coordination, effectively overcoming the geographical challenges of the Indo-Pacific theater. This network will allow geographically dispersed forces to train together seamlessly, enhancing readiness and strengthening integrated deterrence across the region.
"These collaborations with partners, allies, and industry demonstrate our commitment to maintaining technological overmatch while strengthening alliances that are the cornerstone of Indo-Pacific security," said PMTEC Program Manager Dr. Andre Stridiron. “This successful assessment in Tokyo sends a clear signal that the United States, alongside its indispensable allies, is dedicated to leveraging innovation to ensure a stable, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
About PMTEC: Established in 2022, the Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability is a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command initiative that enhances joint, combined, and coalition warfighting readiness in the Indo-Pacific. PMTEC has developed and continues to enhance the world’s largest fully instrumented coalition range system, linking geographically dispersed ranges, training areas, and warfighters across the Indo-Pacific theater and beyond. A cornerstone of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, PMTEC aligns with U.S. National Security and National Defense strategies—strengthening homeland defense, empowering allies and partners, and delivering deterrence against emerging threats. By integrating advanced technologies, PMTEC drives military modernization, fosters innovation, and delivers U.S. and allied forces’ technological superiority and asymmetric advantage over adversaries, supporting the U.S. Department of War initiatives to supercharge the U.S. defense industrial base and maintain a decisive edge in the Indo-Pacific.