Japanese, U.S., and French warships conduct joint drills near Japan, Japanese media say, with the intention of keeping China in check.
Japanese, U.S., and French warships conduct joint drills near Japan
MilitaryEzyInfo.com – The U.S. Navy’s destroyer Curtis Wilbur, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force’s supply ship Hamana, and the French Navy’s frigate Makizuki conducted a joint supply drill, the official website of the U.S. Pacific Fleet revealed on April 19.
According to the U.S. military, the exercise allowed the U.S., French, and Japanese sailors to highlight their capabilities and progress together.
“We’re taking every opportunity to integrate and train with our allies,” said the destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur Captain Diane Quah, “and we can conduct supply operations at sea with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the French Navy.” is a great opportunity to show the unity of the three parties in the responsibilities of the U.S. 7th Fleet.”
According to another Kyodo News report on Feb. 21, the Maritime Self-Defense Force issued a news release on Feb. 20, stating that the exercises were conducted in waters west of Kyushu “to deepen mutual understanding and improve tactical levels.
It also indicated that the drills may have been intended to deter Chinese activities in the East China Sea. The British and German navies have also expressed their intention to dispatch ships to the Pacific Ocean in the future, and the Ministry of Defense is making adjustments as a countermeasure against China.
Notably, according to the Hindustan Times website on February 20, following the dispatch of nuclear submarines and warships to the South China Sea in early February, France has again dispatched amphibious assault ships and frigates to the South China Sea to strengthen its so-called “military presence.
According to reports, the French Navy said that the “Northwest Wind” class amphibious assault ship “Thunderbolt” and the frigate “Socouf” set sail for the Pacific Ocean from their homeport of Toulon on March 18.
They are on a three-month mission to the Pacific Ocean. The amphibious assault ship “Thunderbolt” is one of the largest warships in service with the French Navy, with a displacement of 21,500 tons, and can carry a large number of helicopters for three-dimensional landing operations, known as “quasi-carriers”.
According to the French Navy, the two ships will pass through the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Western Pacific, “which means that during the voyage they will sail twice through the South China Sea, and in May they will conduct joint military exercises with ships of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US Navy. Asked if a trip to cross the Taiwan Strait was planned, USS Thunderbolt Commander Arnold Tranchan said, “No detailed itinerary in the area has been planned.
According to an anonymous military expert, after the Biden administration came to power, the U.S.-European relationship has taken a turn for the worse, with the U.S. side wanting to cooperate in NATO deployments and U.S. military operations, Britain and France sending warships to the South China Sea, both standing in line as NATO members, but also in the Indo-Pacific region. to brush up on the idea of “presence. But now, British and French military power continues to shrink, at best following the US warships “Play Source”.