The Japan coast guard vessel JCGC Wakasa maneuvers during a trilateral search-and-rescue exercise in the Sea of Japan on June 6, 2024. (Elijah Murphy/U.S. Coast Guard)
TOKYO — The U.S. Coast Guard will join its Indian and Japanese counterparts for first-of-its-kind training in Tokyo Bay early next year.
The three-day exercise will take place Jan. 7-11 in conjunction with an annual summit on Jan. 10 between Japan and India’s coast guards in Tokyo, the service announced in a news release Thursday.
The Japanese and Indian coast guards “have been strengthening cooperation and collaboration through annual summits, joint exercises and so on, working together to maintain security and ensure safety in the Indo-Pacific region,” according to the release.
The training will primarily involve India coast guard vessels — slated to make their first port call on Yokohama in six years — and the Japan coast guard’s National Strike Team. The U.S. Coast Guard’s National Strike Force, a specialized unit that trains others for disaster response, will also participate, according to the release.
It will be the first such exercise between the three countries, a Japan coast guard spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday. Government spokespeople in Japan typically speak to the media on condition of anonymity.
The drill will focus on cooperation and environmental protection at sea, including measures against hazardous materials, he said.
U.S. 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Moroney said she could not speak to future operations due to operational security concerns.
“We regularly integrate with allied and partner nations to train, exercise and develop tactical interoperability,” she said by email Thursday. “Professional engagement with allies and partners in the region allows us the opportunity to build upon our existing, strong relationships and learn from each other.”
Nikkei Asia, citing an unnamed source in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported Tuesday that Australia would also participate in the exercise; however, the Japan coast guard spokesman said that’s not the case.
The Yomiuri newspaper, citing unnamed Philippine coast guard officials, reported Tuesday that a second exercise will take place sometime in March between the U.S., Japan and the Philippines. The coast guard spokesman said he was aware of the report and that a definitive plan has not yet been made.
