The Japanese and US militaries have teamed up for a three-day exercise in the Sea of Japan, in a show of force just days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile which landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The ‘USS Carl Vinson’ and ‘USS Ronald Reagan’ strike groups have joined Japanese destroyers ‘Hyuga’ and ‘Ashigara’ for the exercise. In a post on its Facebook page, the US 7th Fleet described the drills as “routine training.” “The Ronald Reagan and Carl Vinson Strike
Groups were joined by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) for routine training to improve interoperability and readiness in the Indo-Asia Pacific,” it wrote. The Japanese military confirmed in a release that its destroyers had joined the US vessels, according to Reuters. “It’s the first time we have exercised with two carriers. It’s a major exercise for us,” a Japanese military spokesman said, according to the news outlet. Meanwhile, Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-15s are taking part in simulated combat with US Navy F-18 fighters at the same time, according to the Japanese military. READ MORE
