Japan conducts joint naval exercise with U.S., India, Philippines

May 9, 2019

Tokyo--Japan has conducted a naval exercise with the United States, India and the Philippines in the East China Sea and South China Sea, the first joint drill involving the four countries, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force said Thursday.

The exercise, part of efforts to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region, was apparently aimed at countering the rise of China.

The drill, conducted from Friday through Thursday, was participated by six vessels, including two MSDF destroyers, the Izumo and the Murasame. The exercise included communications and aircraft landing on the Izumo.

The Japanese fleet left the MSDF's Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, at the end of April. The ships are scheduled to call at ports in five countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, before returning to Japan in July. Jiji Press