JS HARUSAME conducted bilateral exercise with USS FITZGERALD and USNS TIPPECANOE

On June 5 and 7, JS HARUSAME conducted a bilateral exercise with USS FITZGERALD and USNS TIPPECANOE.
The Japanese commander of the Escort Division 2, Captain KUDO Masanori said, “Through this exercise, we enhanced our tactical skills and interoperability between the JMSDF and the U.S. Navy. We conducted this exercise on its way to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia for an anti-piracy mission.”
In this way, the JMSDF and the USN work together on a regular basis in various maritime areas, working closely together to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance and to promote the maintenance and enhancement of a free and open maritime order based on law.
The Self-Defense Fleet maintains its readiness, and contributes to the defense of Japan based on deterrence and the response capabilities of the strong Japan-U.S. alliance, and contributes to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region in cooperation with many nations that share our fundamental values toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”