Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey wave to the Japanese destroyer JS Ariake in the Timor Sea, Sept. 24, 2024. (Gregory Johnson/U.S. Navy)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer took part in a joint exercise alongside Australian, Japanese, New Zealand and Philippine forces in the South China Sea over the weekend.
Meanwhile, U.S., Japanese and Australian ships also trained together off the coast of northeastern Australia.
The USS Howard, homeported in Yokosuka, joined allied warships for a “maritime cooperative activity” in an undisclosed area of the South China Sea on Saturday, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a Sunday news release.
The exercise included surface operations, deck landings, search and rescue and “hoisting,” according to the release.
The training demonstrated the allies’ commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific and building our operational skillsets in one of the most dynamic maritime regions in the world,” 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Fred Kacher said in the news release.
Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Howard shoot a shot line on the fo’c’sle during a replenishment-at-sea with the New Zealand navy's HMNZS Aotearoa in the South China Sea, Sep. 28. 2024. (Alexandria Esteban/U.S. Navy)
The Howard joined the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft, the Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami, the New Zealand auxiliary ship HMNZS Aotearoa and the Philippine guided-missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna and corvette BRP Emilio Jacinto.
The exercise represents “the centerpiece of our approach to a secure and prosperous region where aircraft and ships of all nations may fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows,” 7th Fleet said in the release.
Meanwhile, the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey, also homeported at Yokosuka, joined the Australian frigate HMAS Stewart and Japanese destroyer JS Ariake for a six-day exercise in the Timor Sea between Sept. 23 and Saturday, according to a separate news release from 7th Fleet on Sunday.
The ships trained in formation sailing, combined communication, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, a replenishment-at-sea and subject matter exchanges.
“Our relationships with Australia and Japan are a cornerstone of security in the Indo-Pacific,” Kacher said in the news release. “Seamless coordination with the [Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force] and [Royal Australian Navy] serve as an effective deterrent against aggression in the region and promotes our shared commitment to preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Seventh Fleet acknowledged Stars and Stripes’ request for additional information on both exercises Monday morning but did not respond as of Monday evening.
