Army Ships Beowulf Vehicles to Hawaii for Training
Arctic-tested tracked vehicles moved from Pearl Harbor-Hickam to Pōhakuloa Training Area for a multinational jungle and island exercise.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Military
U.S. Army soldiers loaded tracked Beowulf vehicles aboard the Army vessel MG Robert Smalls at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on November 5, 2026. The ship moved the equipment to Pōhakuloa Training Area on the island of Hawaii the next day to support Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center Rotation 27-01.
Why it matters
The Beowulf is designed to cross soft and uneven tropical terrain, and the shipment supports an exercise involving about 10,000 personnel from several allied and partner nations. The move shows how Army units based in Alaska are extending their cold-weather equipment into island and jungle conditions in the Pacific.
The exercise involves about 10,000 personnel, with troops from South Korea, Singapore, France, New Zealand, Japan and the Maldives participating. The 11th Airborne Division paratroopers flew nearly 3,000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii, while the vehicle performance results from the exercise have not been reported.
The players
U.S. Army
The U.S. Army is the military branch that operates the Beowulf fleet and runs the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center rotations.
BAE Systems
BAE Systems is the British defense manufacturer that produces the Beowulf, the unarmored variant of the BvS10 vehicle.
The details
The Beowulf is BAE Systems' unarmored version of the BvS10, a two-section tracked vehicle built in Sweden. Its articulated joint links two driven cabs, allowing it to cross snow, mud, swamps and rough ground; the Army bought it to replace its Small Unit Support Vehicle in Alaska.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: Soldiers loaded Beowulf vehicles aboard MG Robert Smalls at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
November 6, 2026: The ship moved the equipment to Pōhakuloa Training Area.
February 2027: JPMRC 27-02 is scheduled at Donnelly Training Area in Alaska.
Big Picture
The shipment supports JPMRC 27-01 and comes before the 11th Airborne Division's JPMRC 27-02 rotation at Donnelly Training Area in interior Alaska in February. Together the two rotations show the Army testing the same units across contrasting Arctic and tropical environments.
For residents near Pōhakuloa Training Area and Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the shipment means more military vehicle movements and training activity on Hawaii's island. The exercise is focused on Army readiness rather than changes to civilian access, so the source does not describe direct effects on local services.
The takeaway
The Army is testing its Alaska-based cold-weather vehicles in tropical conditions, which shows how forces are preparing for varied Pacific and Arctic environments. The rotations in Hawaii and Alaska together give units experience across very different terrain.
What happens next
The 11th Airborne Division turns to JPMRC 27-02 in February 2027 at Donnelly Training Area in interior Alaska.
Further reading
Explore more Military coverage for context on exercises like this one in Hawaii.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Defence Blog.
