US-Japan interoperability deters China and North Korea

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) Hyuga-class destroyer destroyer (DDG) has conducted a bilateral maritime exercise with the United States Navy’s (USN) Nimitz-class carrier strike group (NCST) to enhance interoperability between the two navies.

The carrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying DDGs USS Wayne E. Meyer and USS Decatur cooperated with JS Ise in anti-submarine drills, air defense exercises, helicopter cross-deck landings, and integrated naval fires training. JMSDF personnel embarked on Nimitz to support integration and exercise execution, the USN announced on March 27.

Carrier Strike Group 11 Commander Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney said: “Our partners in the Japan Self-Defense Forces are incredibly important allies, and it is imperative that we continue to integrate and train together to increase interoperability and strengthen our capabilities.

“This alliance has never been stronger or more important as we remain determined to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.”

The maritime exercise, which will take place between March 23 and 26, follows a long history of bilateral actions to cooperate with the USN and deter their regional adversaries: the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

In January 2023, the U.S. and Japanese governments drafted a security of supply agreement to increase joint cooperation on new technologies to improve defense capabilities. In addition, on February 23, U.S. and Japanese forces conducted their annual Resilience Shield exercise, which focused on ballistic missile defense and ensured their proficiency in naval tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Kandlikar Venkatesh, Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The maritime exercises with the Hyuga-class helicopter carrier will help the JMSDF prepare for the deployment of the F-35B on such ships, including the modified Izumo-class helicopter carrier, in the coming years.”

“From the JMSDF’s perspective, the bilateral exercises will enhance its maritime warfare capabilities and interoperability with partner navies such as the U.S. Navy, which operates the world’s largest fleet of F-35Bs.”

“These exercises are essential to Japan’s intentions to strengthen its naval capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region amid threats from China and North Korea.”

Japan has been strengthening its alliance with the U.S. to modernize its defense capabilities to better meet the security challenges posed by the PRC and the DPRK. It has prioritized space, cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum to create a multi- domain defense force.

Similarly, the President’s FY 2024 budget expresses the need for the U.S. to place greater emphasis on its weapons systems capabilities. This is signaled by the fact that the USN weapon systems budget received an additional $2 billion in the new budget. This is part of the US strategy to increase its research and development of emerging technologies to gain a competitive edge.

By coming together to integrate their military resources and platforms, the U.S. and Japanese navies will begin the process of realizing this much-needed military advantage at sea.

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