The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) have completed a series of drills in the South China Sea, with the aim of improving interoperability and familiarity between the two services.
The JMSDF conducting interoperability exercises with the RCN in the South China Sea in June. (JMSDF)
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) have completed a series of drills in the South China Sea, with the aim of improving interoperability and familiarity between the two services.
The drills were conducted as part of Exercise ‘KAEDEX’ 2019, a bilateral naval activity between Canada and Japan that began in 2017. Previous iterations of the exercise took place in and around waters off Sasebo, Japan.
Drills that took place in the 2019 edition were conducted in the airspace and waters off Vietnam in the South China Sea from 13 to 15 June, according to information from the JMSDF public affairs office.
Participating in the exercise from the RCN were the Halifax-class guided-missile frigate HMCS Regina (334) and the interim auxiliary replenishment vessel MV Asterix .
Ships that represented the JMSDF included the first-of-class helicopter carrier JS Izumo (183) and the Murasame-class destroyer JS Akebono (108). Also taking part in the drills were the service’s SH-60J/K helicopters.
Highlights from the exercise included helicopter deck familiarisation drills, in which an SH-60J/K airframe landed on Regina , and a replenishment-at-sea activity, in which Akebono received fuel from Asterix while underway. Other activities that were carried out included communication exchanges and maneuvering drills.
This article, first published 19 July 2019, is subject to a correction and has been amended.
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