Pacific Partnership 2026 arrives in Malaysia for disaster response preparedness mission

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia – Approximately 250 Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) personnel, including medical, engineering, disaster management, and outreach experts arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, to begin the fourth stop of the U.S. Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness mission in the Pacific, Sept. 2, 2026.

“We thank Malaysia for hosting Pacific Partnership 2026,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires David H. “Chip” Gamble, who is scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony at Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara (INTAN) Kampus Sabah Sept. 3. “Through this multinational and multilateral exercise, currently in its 20th year, we have strengthened our regional and bilateral partnerships, as well our collective capabilities to provide disaster relief and humanitarian, medical and engineering assistance.”

This year marks the sixth Pacific Partnership mission to Malaysia since the inaugural mission in 2006. Working alongside their Malaysian military and civilian counterparts, personnel from the Armed Forces of Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States will participate in approximately two weeks of collaborative engagements focused on strengthening regional partnerships and bolstering disaster preparedness.

“After first working with Malaysia in 2019 as a part of Exercise Bersama Warrior, I am now thrilled to return with Pacific Partnership as part of the U.S. Navy’s enduring commitment to disaster preparedness in the region,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Reyes, mission commander of PP26. “The events our team has planned, in conjunction with the Malaysian government, Malaysian Armed Forces, and local organizations here in Sabah, represent an opportunity for nine nations to gather together under one uniting initiative of preparing in calm to respond in crisis. I’m confident that our work together will strengthen our bonds with the people of Sabah, and our combined abilities to effectively respond to a variety of hazards.”

Planned engagements include infrastructure improvements at Babagon Toki Primary School and Telipok Health Clinic, a maritime search-and-rescue training and field exercise, medical and disaster management symposiums, medical and veterinary exchanges, educational engagements, community health outreach, a Pacific Partnership line of effort fair, community relations events, religious key leader engagements, performances by the Pacific Partnership Band, and more. Throughout these engagements, the Pacific Partnership team will work closely with the University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the Sabah Tourism Board, and non-profits including humanitarian aid organization the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.

"We are honored to be here in Kota Kinabalu alongside our allies and partners to build on our enduring relationship with Malaysia," said U.S. Navy Lt Philip Ochieng, PP26 officer in charge of the Malaysia mission stop. "I am looking forward to seeing how our combined efforts during this mission will strengthen our collective ability to respond to natural disasters and medical emergencies, ultimately enhancing stability and security throughout this region."

The stop features multinational maritime coordination, with a number of PP26 personnel, supplies, and equipment arriving aboard Royal Australian Navy amphibious Bay-class Landing Ship Dock (LSD) HMAS Choules (L100) on Aug. 15. Previously Choules provided logistical and transport support and personnel to and from the Indonesia mission stop in July, also serving as the mission’s command and control platform.

PP26 has concluded stops in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, as well as an enduring project in Fiji. Following Malaysia, the mission will continue in Tacloban, Philippines, and an ongoing enduring project in Palau.

Now in its 22nd iteration, the Pacific Partnership mission is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the region. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the region.

For more information about Pacific Partnership visit www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, www.instagram.com/pacific_partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership.

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