HMS Argyll Hunts Submarines in the Philippine Sea
HMS Argyll has hunted down submarines in the Philippine Sea during exercises with allied navies from Japan and the United States.This was the first time these navies have combined like this as they tested their specialist anti-submarine warfare skills.Japan’s helicopter destroyer JS Izumo worked with the Plymouth-based frigate to hunt down a US Navy Submarine, which was playing the part of the enemy during two days of training.Argyll has already worked alongside the Japanese navy…
Rolls-Royce Gas Turbine Selected for Japan’s New Frigate
Rolls-Royce reports it has been selected to supply its MT30 gas turbine to power a new class of frigates for the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF).The selection means Japan is the fifth nation to select the MT30 for a major naval shipbuilding program.Sam Cameron, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President – Defence, said, “Japan’s selection of the MT30 is very significant and means that the three largest users of marine gas turbines, have all endorsed the capabilities of the MT30…
U.S. Carrier Drills with Japanese Navy
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the Ronald Reagan, is conducting drills with a Japanese warship in waters around Okinawa southwest of the Korean peninsula, Japan's military said on Wednesday. The exercise comes amid heightened tension with North Korea as the U.S. holds air drills in the region with B1-B bombers flown from Guam. The exercise with the Reagan strike group, which began on Saturday, involves vessels sailing from the Bashi Channel, which separates the Philippines and Taiwan, to seas around Japan's southwest island nearer to North Korea, Japan's Maritime Self Defence Force said in a statement. One Japanese destroyer, the Shimkaze, is accompanying the 100,000-ton Reagan, which is based in Japan, and its escort ships, the JMSDF said. Reporting by Tim Kelly
U.S. Navy Carrier Drills with Japanese Navy
The U.S. Navy carrier Ronald Reagan is conducting drills with Japanese warships in seas south of the Korean peninsula, Japan's military said on Friday, in a show of naval power as Pyongyang threatens further nuclear and missile tests. The Reagan strike group will conduct a separate drill with the South Korean Navy in October, the defence ministry said in a statement distributed to South Korean lawmakers on Monday. The 100,000-ton Reagan, which is based in Japan, and its escort ships have been holding drills with Japanese navy vessels since Sept 11 in waters south and west of Japan's main islands, the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force said in a statement.
Japan-EU Ties for Anti-Piracy
Japan and the European Union are strengthening antipiracy cooperation in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, helping an international mission to reduce the number of attacks by pirates on commercial vessels to just two in 2014 from 174 in 2011, Japan’s Jiji Press news agency reported. The first operation took place in January 2014 when EU naval forces and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) troops teamed up to capture a pirate ship. MSDF destroyer Samidare initially received information about a commercial ship coming under attack in the Gulf of Aden. It then sent a P-3C patrol aircraft to monitor the situation while an EU naval vessel from France was dispatched to the site to arrest five pirates.
First Japan-India Maritime Exercise in Indian Waters
The first ever Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX) to be conducted in waters off the Indian coast is scheduled in the Bay of Bengal from December 19-22, 2013. The Indian Navy will be represented by the indigenously built stealth frigate INS Satpura, the Guided Missile Destroyer INS Ranvijay and missile corvette INS Kuthar. From the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) two Guided Missile destroyers, JS Ariake (with Commander Escort Division – 7 embarked), and JS Setogiri will participate. The exercise focuses on Maritime Security Cooperation. Spread over four days, the exercise will comprise harbor and sea phases of two days each.
