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22-012 | Nov. 21, 2022
Ship formation breakaway (Photo by JMSDF)
USS Ronald Reagan (Photo by JMSDF)
USS Ronald Reagan escorted by USN and JMSDF vessels (Photo by JMSDF)
HMAS Stalwart (Photo by JMSDF)
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has successfully provided asset protection for Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and United States Navy (USN) ships during an exercise in the seas off Japan.
The trilateral activity saw JMSDF JS Setogiri provide asset protection for RAN HMAS Stalwart along with USN USS Ronald Reagan, USS Chancellorsville, and USS Milius under Article 95-2 of Japan's Self-Defense Forces law.
This coordinated asset protection by the JMSDF to the Australian Defense Force and US Forces demonstrates our commitment to continually enhance interoperability between our three forces, as set out in the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation of 22 October 2022.
It delivers on a Trilateral Defense Ministers' Meeting agreement from June where Ministers set out their ambitious vision for trilateral cooperation.
This milestone event follows the recently completed Exercise MALABAR, which combined naval and air forces from Japan, Australia, the United States, and India and Exercise KEEN SWORD, which combined naval forces from Australia, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Both exercises were focused on enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability through high-end naval warfighting training.