Japan's largest warship holds rare exercise with US in East Sea
Japan's newest helicopter carrier has conducted drills with a US aircraft carrier strike group in the South China Sea amid tense relations between Beijing and Tokyo.
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| The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group conducted a joint exercise with the Kaga helicopter carrier-led Escort Group 4 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, the 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 Kaga helicopter carrier and the Inazuma destroyer, participate 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 U.S. Navy conducted a formation exercise, engaged in maritime logistics exercises, naval communications exchanges, and coordinated operations. Pictured: The Japan Self-Defense Force helicopter carrier Kaga (front) and the destroyers USS Antietam and Suzutsuki conduct a joint exercise on August 31. Photo: Japan Times |
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| “The joint exercise with Escort Strike Group 4 (Japan) is an excellent opportunity to connect our carrier strike groups with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force strike group and enhance the joint operations capabilities we have built over the years between our two militaries,” said Rear Adm. 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 joint exercises 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 this 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 join the US exercise is in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "free and open" Indo-Pacific strategy. The US Pacific Command is strengthening ties with countries in the region amid China's growing influence and moves to make unreasonable sovereignty claims in disputed waters such as the East Sea and the 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 drills came after Washington criticized China for its illegal militarization of the South China Sea. Japan and China are also involved in a territorial dispute over several islands in the East China Sea. Photo: Reuters |
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