Japan's largest warship holds rare exercise with US in East Sea
Japan's newest helicopter carrier has conducted exercises with a US aircraft carrier strike group in the South China Sea amid tense Beijing-Tokyo relations.
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| The US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan conducted an exercise with the 4th Escort Strike Group led by the helicopter carrier Kaga in the South China Sea on August 31. The exercise was part of a rare trip by the Kaga and two Japanese guided-missile destroyers, Inazuma and Suzutsuki, to the South China Sea. In this photo: The US ships, including the guided-missile destroyer USS Antietam, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius, and the Japanese ships, including the helicopter carrier Kaga and the destroyer Inazuma, participated in a bilateral exercise in the South China Sea. Photo: Japan Times |
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| Ships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US Navy conducted formation exercises, participated in maritime logistics exercises, exchanged naval communications and conducted coordinated operations. Pictured: The Japan Self-Defense Force helicopter carrier Kaga (front) and the destroyers USS Antietam and Suzutsuki conducted joint exercises on August 31. Photo: Japan Times |
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| “The joint exercise with the Escort Strike Group 4 (Japan) is an excellent opportunity to connect our carrier strike group with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force strike group and enhance the joint operations capabilities we have built over many years between our two militaries,” said Rear Admiral Karl O. Thomas, commander of US Strike Group 70 in Japan. In this photo: The US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (front) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius conduct a joint exercise with Japanese ships in the South China Sea. Photo: US Navy |
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| The Kaga is Japan's newest and largest warship, commissioned into the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force last spring. The 27,000-ton ship is capable of carrying 14 large helicopters. The US also deployed the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group to the 7th Fleet's areas of operations to support security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. In photo: US and Japanese ships conduct drills in the East Sea on August 31. Photo: Reuters |
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| Japanese government sources said the deployment of the fleet to participate in exercises with the US is in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "free and open" Indo-Pacific strategy. The US Pacific Command strengthens relations with countries in the region in the context of China's increasing influence and many moves to demand unreasonable sovereignty claims in disputed waters such as the East Sea and East China Sea. Photo: Reuters |
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| Rear Admiral Tatsuya Fukuda, commander of the Japanese flotilla, said the deployment of the Kaga helicopter carrier and its destroyers to the South China Sea was aimed at enhancing cooperation with partner navies and contributing to “enhancing peace and stability” in the region. The bilateral US-Japan exercise comes after Washington criticized China for its illegal militarization of the South China Sea. Japan and China also have territorial disputes over several islands in the East China Sea. Photo: Reuters |
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