US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) completed a series of evolutions with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter carrier JS Ise (DDH 182) in the South China Sea on March 23.
The two ships were joined by US destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) training drills and sailor-to-sailor exchanges.
The operations began March 11 and took place in waters near Okinawa, Japan, in addition to the South China Sea.
“I thought it was really cool to have this opportunity,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Jeremiah Karelius, a communications watch officer aboard Carl Vinson. Karelius hosted a communications operator from Ise during a four-hour exchange visit on the aircraft carrier.
Japanese and US sailors also conducted anti-submarine and air-defense exercises as well as training drills for multinational command and control functions. The three vessels also steamed in close formation and completed several replenishments-at-sea together.
During the bilateral exercise, Carl Vinson also operated jointly with the US Marine Corps. Okinawa-based MV-22B Osprey aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 completed carrier deck landing qualifications aboard Carl Vinson and helped transport personnel to and from shore.