USS Ronald Reagan and JS Izumo conducted joint-cruising training in the South China Sea from June 13th to June 15th.
http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/formal/info/news/201706/20170616-01.pdf
New Zealand's HMNZS Te Kaha conducted multi-lateral training with the JMSDF, USN, and RCN.
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The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is taking part this week in a multilateral defence exercise in Japanese water that involves detecting, tracking and conducting simulated attacks on enemy submarines.
The Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha will join the Japanese destroyer JS Inazuma, the Canadian frigates HMCS Winnipeg and Ottawa and United States Navy ships and aircraft in Exercise Pacific Guardian.
This year’s exercise, which will be held from 15-18 June south of Shikoku, Japan’s fourth-largest island, will include combined anti-submarine warfare exercises, surface gunnery and helicopter landings on each other’s vessels.
“It is an opportunity to demonstrate and progress our defence co-operation with partner navies by training together at a tactical level,” Te Kaha Commanding Officer Steve Lenik said.
Te Kaha would send a crew member to serve as liaison officer on the Japanese destroyer and would host a US Navy officer on board during the exercise, Commander Lenik said.
In February, the NZDF deployed a naval task group comprising Te Kaha and the replenishment tanker HMNZS Endeavour for six months of training and activities in 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Since then both ships have trained with the Royal Australian Navy off the coast of Australia and joined a Five Power Defence Arrangements (United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore) exercise in Singapore.
Te Kaha has also visited ports and exercised with the navies of a number of Asian countries, including China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and South Korea.
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http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-r...ing-submarines-in-joint-exercise-in-japan.htm
It marked the 21st time a New Zealand warship has visited Japan. The last time was 4 years ago. It will stay from June 19th until June 23rd.
http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/formal/info/news/201706/20170613-03.pdf
Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force in the multilateral Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2017 with Australia and the US.
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DARWIN, Australia — Australia’s “Outback” is home to some of the world’s most exotic and dangerous animals, and its desolate plains – coupled with scorching heat – offer a challenge of a lifetime to the most physically fit and mentally tough Soldier.
From May 18-June 2, Soldiers assigned to B Company, “Bulls,” 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, tested their mettle in the Outback, participating in exercise Southern Jackaroo 2017, or SJ, an annual, trilateral military training exercise sponsored by Australia Defense Force with participation of elements of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force and U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Darwin.
SJ 2017 is one of many annual multinational military training exercises aimed at enhancing professional partnerships, operational readiness and interoperability between U.S. Pacific Command and allied partners within the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Rim regions.
“Exercise Southern Jackaroo is all about improving that critical defense collateral relationship between the defense forces of the U.S., Japan and Australia,” said the commander of 1st Bde., Australian Army, Brigadier Ben James. “Train hard and fight easy – that’s what we are doing out here at Mount Bundey Training Area. Soldiers from all three nations are learning tough lessons about surviving in the field and how best to work alongside each other: It’s been a great exercise.”
“Southern Jackaroo offers an opportunity for our Soldiers to gain a deeper understanding of how we fit into the Pacific area of operation,” said Lt. Col. James Hart, commander of 1-21st Inf. Bn. “It also provides an understanding of the capabilities that our Australian, Japanese and Marine partners (U.S.) bring to the fight: how to operate in a joint environment.”
SJ originally started in 2013 as a combined marksmanship event following the Australian Army Skills at Arms Meeting, a shooting event that involves over 12 nations.
In 2015, SJ evolved into a field training and live-fire exercise with the Australian Army’s Ready Bde. hosting the event.
This year’s exercise was hosted by the Australian Army’s 1st Bde. and included an emphasis on live fire at the platoon level and company level within a Battle Group construct.
“It was very rewarding to see leaders at all levels coordinating directly and effectively with their peers of a different nationality in tactical situations, and to see Soldiers of all ranks gravitating to each other during down periods to learn more and develop as a team,” said Capt. John Voss, commander for B Co., 1-21st Inf. Bn.
SJ 2017 incorporated blank and live-fire scenarios, dismounted and mounted offensive actions, sniper/marksmanship training and defensive operations.
Training for this year’s exercise occurred at the Mount Bundey Training Area in Australia’s Northern Territory, which proved to be a unique and highly physically demanding training environment for the Soldiers of B Co.
“The outback is uniquely demanding. In order to maintain the effectiveness of the individual Soldier over time, we learned how to plan operations to minimize the physical burden during the hottest part of the day and incorporate water sustainment in every aspect of the mission,” said Voss. “We also learned to maximize equipment that is not traditionally necessary, like mosquito nets and sun shade.”
One of the common themes throughout the exercise was how all three nations embraced their differences. Using them as learning lessons, they could incorporate in their own training, but also leveraged similarities to build camaraderie.
“Although, there are differences, we are all quite similar,” said Pvt. Zac Nathan, a Soldier assigned to 1st Bde., Australian Army. “Southern Jackaroo will help the Australian military in future training; the U.S. military uses a much faster pace when conducting TTPs and missions in urban environments. We can take this as a learning point towards how we train.”
“The biggest take-away for the Bulls is how similar we are to our partners, said Voss. “We do a few things differently, but at the end of the day, we know we could swap out individual Soldiers or entire platoons with a partnered Australian unit and not miss a beat.”
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http://www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com/201...ltinational-military-partnerships-in-outback/
Video of the exercise:
http://video.army.gov.au/play/5168
Two B-1Bs from Guam and two F-15Js from Nyutabaru conducted joint flight training to improve counter response on June 20th in the airspace around Kyushu. The two B-1Bs continued onward and did training with the ROKAF.
http://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/news/houdou/H29/290620.html
Military officers from all 10 ASEAN countries boarded JS Izumo for 5 days in the SCS but outside the 9 dash line area.
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Japan's largest warship steamed into the South China Sea this week in defiance of Chinese assertiveness, with Asian military guests on board to witness helicopters looping over the tropical waters and gunners blasting target buoys.
China claims most of the energy-rich sea through which about$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, much of it to and from Japanese ports. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
Japan worries that China is cementing its control in the South China Sea with manmade island bases, arms sales and development aid.
"We are not just here to show our presence, but from the outside that is what it looks like," Rear Admiral Yoshihiro Goga, the commander of the mission, said aboard the Izumo-class helicopter carrier.
Military officers from the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) boarded the 248-meter carrier in Singapore on Monday. It returned on Friday after demonstrating naval skills and kit Tokyo hopes will help it bolster alliances in the region.
The Izumo turned back to Singapore before crossing a boundary known as the nine-dash-line into what China claims are its waters.
The high-profile cruise was part of a hitherto unseen coordinated push by Japan's Self Defense Forces and defense bureaucrats to bolster ties with countries ringing the contested waters. It also marked a concerted push into military diplomacy by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan last week held a military technology seminar near Tokyo for representatives from Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore and this week invited ASEAN officers to a disaster relief drill in Tokyo.
Abe's government believes Japan may be better placed to prise Southeast Asian nations away from Chinese influence than its U.S. allies with a gentler approach that emphasizes a common Asian heritage, two sources with knowledge of the diplomatic strategy told Reuters earlier.
While the U.S. has confronted China directly by sending warships close to China's island bases in the South China Sea, Japan so far has shied away from similar provocations.
As the Izumo neared the nine-dash line, the crew were on lookout for Chinese aircraft or ships sent to shadow the flag ship. Apart from brief radar contact with an unidentified aircraft announced by the ship's public address system the carrier, however, sailed on unmolested.
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https://japantoday.com/category/pol...s-asian-guests-on-cruise-in-defiance-of-china
