The naval services of the United States, Australia and Japan participated in a six-day multilateral exercise last week aimed at enhancing interoperability to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The event saw participant ships — the U.S. Navy’s USS Dewey Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the HMAS Stuart Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Ariake Murasame-class destroyer — undergo several training exercises, including combined communication, formation sailing and replenishment at sea. It also featured anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare area operations exercises.
Cdre. Jonathan Ley, Australia’s joint force maritime component commander, highlighted the multilateral exercise’s importance in addressing regional security challenges. “Every opportunity to cooperate with partners at sea is highly valued by Australian ships deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
For his part, Rear Adm. Yokota Kazushi, commander of the JMSDF’s Escort Flotilla 3, emphasized how this event and other naval drills build interoperability and interchangeability between the three nations.
This “seamless coordination,” said Vice Adm. Fred Kacher, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, is an effective deterrent against aggression to maintain regional stability.
Earlier in September, the U.S. and Australia joined a similar exercise with Italy to improve collaboration in command and control and anti-surface warfare.