Japan and US Conduct Military Exercises Near North Korea

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) announced Friday that Japanese and U.S. warships concluded an information exchange drill on ballistic missile launches in the Sea of Japan.

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According to JMSDF, on April 13 and 14, the Japanese missile launching destroyer JS Kongo conducted a ballistic missile information exchange training with the missile launching cruiser USS Mobile Bay and missile launching destroyer USS Spruance in the Sea of Japan to strengthen allied capabilities for effective deterrence and response. 

Similarly, the aforementioned Japanese branch said that such military exercises strengthen regional peace and stability, adding that they promote a solid missile defense architecture.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed by the U.S. 7th Fleet that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is conducting operations in the Sea of Japan together with JMSDF. 

In this connection, U.S. Seventh Fleet spokesman Hayley Sims said that such exercises are bilateral routine operations to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific that promotes the credibility of conventional deterrence.

This year, Japan has stepped up joint tests with the U.S., its main strategic ally. In March, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. Marine Corps conducted drills in the Higashi-Fuji region of Shizuoka Prefecture.

North Korea has repeatedly denounced the U.S. and Japan for deepening their military cooperation, saying that it constitutes a major threat to the region.