04 April 2017

USA: USN, ROKN, JMSDF conduct anti-submarine warfare exercise

From U.S. 7th FleetPublic Affairs

USS McCampbell (DDG 85) file photo. (U.S. Navy/MC3 Patrick Dionne) >>

YOKOSUKA, Japan - Vessels and aircraft from the United States Navy, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will conduct a trilateral anti-submarine exercise April 4-6 (Korea/Japan standard time) in seas in the vicinity of Korea and Japan to promote communications, interoperability, and partnership in the 7th Fleet area of operations.

The exercise will consist of: submarine search, fix, and tracking; high-value unit protection and anti-submarine defense maneuvers. The exercise is being executed on the heels of Exercise Foal Eagle 2017, an annual joint and combined field training exercise conducted by Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea components. The additional training will allow participants to enhance tactical maritime capabilities, strengthen cooperation, and improve shared situational awareness.

Participants include the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85), and the destroyers ROKS Kang Gam Chan (DDH 979) and JS Sawagiri (DD 157).

The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build maritime partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability, and prevent conflict.