Japan’s newest helicopter carrier, Kaga, has trained with the USS Ronald Reagan Strike Group, showcasing its military might during a tour in the contested South China Sea, amid tensions between Beijing and US-backed Tokyo.
The two navies practiced sailing in formation and joint maneuvering on Friday. The ships also trained in replenishment-at-sea procedures. The drill demonstrated how “seamlessly” the allied fleets can operate, explained US Rear Admiral Karl Thomas.
Thomas, who leads the Japan-based Task Force 70, stressed that the joint exercise helped to “further the interoperability” that the allies “have been building for years.”
The Japanese flotilla was led by the nation’s newest and largest warship Kaga, which joined the navy last spring. The 27,000-ton vessel, capable of carrying up to 14 large helicopters, docked in Alava Wharf in Subic Bay, Philippines, on Saturday, along with two destroyers.
