Japan and the US conduct joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan. (Photo: US naval forces) |
Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force said three escort vessels – the Ise, the Makinami, and the Inazuma – carried out the drill with US carriers Ronald Reagan, Nimitz, and Theodore Roosevelt. This was the first three-carrier exercise in the western Pacific since 2007.
On Saturday the US and South Korea began joint naval exercises that also involved three US aircraft carriers in what military officials called “a clear warning to North Korea”.