HMAS Choules Arrive in Indonesia for Pacific Partnership 2026

Sibolga: Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) mission personnel arrived in Sibolga, Indonesia, aboard the Royal Australian Navy Bay-class landing ship dock HMAS Choules (LSD 100) on July 20, 2026.

The arrival marking the second mission stop of the U.S. Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific. 

The arrival marks the seventh time Pacific Partnership has visited Indonesia since the inaugural mission in 2006 and will include partner nations’ forces from Australia, Canada, Germany, and Singapore. 

The PP26 mission stop in Sibolga and the surrounding Central Tapanuli Regency focuses on a series of preplanned engagements designed to enhance multilateral cooperation between host and participating partner nations to bolster the region’s ability to respond rapidly to disaster emergencies. 

“Sibolga’s recent history tells a story of resilience in the face of natural disasters and reminds us that disaster preparedness is a collective endeavor to build resiliency today for what could arise tomorrow,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Reyes, mission commander of PP26. 

“As the Indonesia mission stop prepares to commence, we celebrate the resiliency of this community and the opportunity to collaborate and exchange expertise for mutual learning,” added Reyes.


Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) mission personnel arrived in Sibolga, Indonesia. Photo: US Embassy Jakarta

The start of the mission was commemorated with an opening ceremony on July 21, featuring Akhmad Syukri Nazri Penarik, mayor of Sibolga, Masinton Pasaribu, regent of Central Tapanuli, Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) Rear Adm. Sarimpunan Tanjung, commander of Naval Sub-regional Command Two, Indonesia Fleet Command, TNI Brig. Gen. Hadi Juanda, chief of TNI Surgeon General Office, TNI headquarters, TNI First Admiral Tjahja Nurrobi, deputy chief of TNI Surgeon General, TNI headquarters, Rear Adm. David Buzzetti, vice chief of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and other senior U.S. and Indonesian officials.

“Pacific Partnership demonstrates the enduring commitment of the United States and Indonesia to strengthening regional resilience through practical cooperation,” said the Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, for the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta Joy Sakurai, quoted from the embassy statement, Wednesday, 22 July 2026. 

“Together with our Indonesian and multinational partners, we are building relationships and capabilities that improve preparedness, save lives, and promote a more secure Indo-Pacific,” Sakurai said.

This mission stop runs through August 1 and will feature mission, partner country, and Indonesian personnel working side-by-side to complete tailored engagements focusing on four lines of effort: engineering, medical, disaster management, and host nation outreach. 

Engagements include new classroom construction and classroom renovations at two schoolhouses; a hands-on practical, tactical workshop to develop and refine skills for responding to natural disasters; disaster planning at two hospitals; and medical subject-matter exchanges.  Additionally, the Pacific Partnership band will perform at various community outreach events. 

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

U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.  U.S. Pacific Fleet delivers combat-ready naval forces to defend the homeland and U.S. interests, provide credible deterrence, and strengthen U.S. alliances and partnerships to ensure a secure and prosperous region.